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'Rahane Overseas..' - Sunil Gavaskar Bats For Jinx After Batting Collapse

image-lqnondqfAjinkya Rahane (X.com)

The Indian cricket team is currently at a crossroads with South Africa for the first test in Centurion. After Temba Bavuma won the coin flip contest, he invited Rohit Sharma and Co to bat first under overcast conditions.

However, while the challenge thrown by the Proteas' pace attack was steep, the unfortunate top-order batting collapse stunned the fans. The visitors lost half the side under 110 runs before KL Rahul came to the rescue.

KL Rahul built partnerships with the tail-enders to score a commendable ton and also guided his side to a respectable first-inning total. Yet, it still seems not good enough.


India Missed Rahane At Centurion, Claims Gavaskar

Having said that, former Indian cricketer and captain Sunil Gavaskar reacted to India's collapse and reckoned that perhaps the men in blue missed the services of someone like Ajinkya Rahane. 

He recalled an incident that dates back to the 2018-19 series vs South Africa, wherein Rahane left his mark in the third test despite being out of action in the first couple of games.

Gavaskar added that while Ajinkya scored 48 odd runs, the pitch of Johannesburg was an absolute nightmare for the batter. Yet, the Mumbai lad came in and tackled Proteas head-on.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator further opined that Ajinkya Rahane is an excellent player in overseas conditions. His track record outside of home has been spectacular. Thus, if he had been there today, India's final score could have been a lot more different.

"People have been talking about the pitch in the Johannesburg Test five years back and I was there. Yeah, it wasn't the easiest of pitches to bat on the odd ball was climbing up. And Ajinkya Rahane, who had not been picked for the first two Test matches, was picked for that game and he showed what the Indian team had missed because earlier on in the first couple of Test matches India did not lose by big margins."


"So maybe somebody with Rahane's experience overseas... because Rahane overseas has been such a fine, fine player and maybe if he had been there today the story could have been completely different," Gavaskar said on commentary on Star Sports.

Veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were dropped for the series owing to youth influx and substandard recent form. The duo were once regarded as the backbones of the Indian test batting unit. But sadly, as cricket evolved, the veteran batters drifted away from India's scheme of things.

Nonetheless, the Indians are fighting back after the first-inning disappointment. Owing to Rahul's hundred, the men in blue set up 245 runs, and South Africa is already one down in response. Overall, the contest will get even more challenging as the days progresses.