'Check his footwork in 2015-16, it is not that definite'- Ex-India keeper on why Rahane is 'not the same player'
So far in 2021, India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has scored 263 runs in seven Tests at an average of 21.91, a run that includes just one half-century.
India's current Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, without a shred of a doubt, is a class act. A reassuring figure in the middle-order with Rahul Dravid-esque elegance, the right-hander has become an instrumental member of the team. However, in the recent past, he has failed to show consistency and that is something even former India player Deep Dasgupta feels.
The former wicketkeeper-batsman, while speaking during a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, quipped that Rahane isn't the same batsman he used to be early in the previous decade. He cited the example of one of his innings in testing conditions at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
Dasgupta remarked that the reason why Rahane was so successful away from home was that he used to bat at No.3 for Mumbai and was used to playing with the new ball. He further added that he just doesn't have the sort of confidence he possessed in the 2015-16 season.
"I don't think Rahane is the same player that he was. In 2015-16, Rahane was unbelievable. He was a player that I saw playing for Mumbai. The Wankhede pitch on the first morning was moist, the pitch had grass and it was a nightmare batting there those days. But Rahane scored more than 4000-4500 runs before playing for India, batting predominantly at No.3 position," commented Dasgupta.
Heading into more technical areas, the 44-year-old further observed that since Rahane is skilled at playing swing bowling abroad, he is often caught off-guard by reverse swing at home.
"When you bat in India, your skillset changes. You play swing and pace outside but here you need to play reverse swing. If you go and check Rahane's footwork in 2015-16, you will realize that his footwork is not that definite. He is very tentative in his first 20 balls and whenever he plays a big innings, he is a lot more confident," said Dasgupta.
Rahane was last seen in action during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand. He registered scores of 49 and 15 as India slumped to an eight-wicket defeat. So far in 2021, the right-hander has scored 263 runs in seven Tests at an average of 21.91.
