28 December,2020 06:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Harit Joshi
India`s Ajinkya Rahane after scoring a century on Day Two of the second Test at the MCG on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
This is a courageous knock from Ajinkya. The supporters of Test cricket have waited for a long time to witness such a knock. It's even more commendable because the team had collapsed for a mere 36 runs in their last outing, so this knock will boost every Indian player's confidence going forward. To be a good captain, you must have self-belief and Ajinkya's calm and composed nature has helped him excel. This was an acid test for any captain, and Ajinkya has passed with flying colours.
Under Ajinkya's captaincy, we have dominated the Aussies on both days [of the second Test]. On Day One, we saw him succeed with his field placements and bowling changes, and on Day Two, he came up with this remarkable century. After the humiliating defeat in Adelaide, to come out and bat like this is highly creditable. Captaincy can be quite a burden at times and even greats like Sachin [Tendulkar] and [Sunil] Gavaskar have given it up to focus on their batting, but Ajinkya has proved that he can handle it confidently.
This ton from Ajinkya was long overdue. It's been a while since he scored a century in Tests [his last ton was v SA at Ranchi in 2019]. After what happened in Adelaide, there was nothing more to lose. There was only one way from there and that was upwards. Rahane's partnerships with Hanuma Vihari and then Ravindra Jadeja has handed back the momentum to India. Tomorrow, Ajju and Jaddu can add another 100 to 150 runs and put us in a very good position in this Test.
This is one of the best overseas knocks by Ajinkya. He has led from the front and his tactical moves on the field have been very interesting. He rotated his bowlers effectively too. Ajinkya reads the game well and has all the good qualities to become a great cricketer. Leading the team after the massive setback in Adelaide is not easy. It shows the character of this man of few words.
