Ajinkya Rahane returns for WTC Final: Gavaskar, Shastri, Harbhajan share opinion

Ajinkya Rahane’s inclusion in the World Test Championship final squad has led to divided opinions among the former India cricketers. Rahane was included in the 15-man lineup for the clash against Australia at The Oval starting 7 June.

Rahane last played for India in January 2022 and had a poor show against South Africa. This followed from a 2021 where he mustered a mediocre 479 runs from 13 matches at an average of a measly 20.82.

However, ‘Jinks’ found his way back into the Indian setup for the marquee clash in England. In the absence of clear reasoning behind the decision, one could argue it is because of his record in England where he’s scored 729 runs from 15 matches at an average of 26.03. Another line of reasoning could be that he’s an ideal middle-order replacement for the injured Shreyas Iyer.

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A third view could be that he’s being rewarded for his current IPL form. In the IPL this season, CSK’s Rahane has scored 209 runs from five matches at 52.25 with a strike rate of 199.05.

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Former India batter and captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Rahane’s inclusion, ahead of the likes of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, is the right choice.

“That was the only change needed for the Indian side. They needed a replacement for Shreyas Iyer. Ajinkya Rahane finds himself in the WTC squad not because of his current IPL form, mind you, he was in a pretty decent form in the Ranji Trophy. He did very well for Mumbai in the domestic season. The question now is in the final eleven, who’s going to be playing? Whether it will be KS Bharat the wicket-keeper or KL Rahul. We’ll just have to wait and see,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

Read | Why Ajinkya Rahane is back and there’s competition among the pacers

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said Rahane’s inclusion made sense considering his experience of playing 82 Test matches.

“He has captained India in so many matches and is a brilliant player a well. He has a great technique. I feel the decision has been taken keeping in mind his present form and hence has been recalled because Shreyas Iyer is still not part of the team. And with Iyer absent, it serves an opportunity to Rahane and it’s a big match. He is a big player as well and I hope he gives that big performance to justify the selection. I support this selection 100 per cent and I feel it is a great decision. There was actually no other solution other than this,” said ‘Bhajji’ on his YouTube show.

Harbhajan said Indian selectors missed a trick by not naming Suryakumar who can play “baseball cricket” similar to Rishabh Pant and Adam Gilchrist of the past.

“The one person who has missed this tour is Suryakumar Yadav. He should have been part of the team. Maybe instead of carrying three spinners, they could have carried an extra batter. Because you need that one batsman in the middle order who can destroy the opposition and only Suryakumar could have done that. He first got him into the Test team because he was in great form. Yes he has had a rough patch of 4-5 matches but if IPL is the criteria for selection for other players then even he should have been picked, even he has found that rhythm,” he said.

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“When Gilchrist used to come in the middle for Australia, at No.6-7, he would destroy the bowlers. So you need a batter in the line-up who can play baseball cricket like Rishabh Pant. India will miss Suryakumar during this tour,” he added.

Besides the potential reasons listed above, Rahane’s domestic form could have been a consideration too. After the Johannesburg Test and subsequent snub from the Indian team, Rahane shifted focus to Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Ranji Trophy competitions. In the latter he scored 634 runs at 57.63 including two centuries.

Meanwhile, former India coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri tweeted this is the best team for the job.

“Best Indian team selected. Well done selectors and team management #WTCFinal2023 #TeamIndia,” Shastri tweeted along with a photo of the Indian Test team which includes Rahane.

Former India batter Aakash Chopra, however, questioned the absence of Suryakumar Yadav from the squad.

“Happy for Rahane. But how does the SKY inclusion-exclusion make sense? Select kyu kiya… kar liya toh ek match ke baad drop kyu kiya? (Why did you select him and if you did, why drop him after one match),” tweeted Chopra.

Gavaskar also named Rahane is his playing XI for the all-important contest against a Pat Cummins-led Australia. As does the divisive KL Rahul. “That was the only change needed for the Indian side. They needed a replacement for Shreyas Iyer. Ajinkya Rahane finds himself in the WTC squad not because of his current IPL form, mind you, he was in a pretty decent form in the Ranji Trophy. He did very well for Mumbai in the domestic season. The question now is in the final eleven, who’s going to be playing? Whether it will be KS Bharat the wicket-keeper or KL Rahul. We’ll just have to wait and see,” Gavaskar said.

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