‘Don’t think we should jump the gun on him’: Virat Kohli speaks about Ajinkya Rahane

Indian captain Virat Kohli has backed his deputy in Test cricket Ajinkya Rahane to come good and stand up in critical moments. He also believes that people should not jump the gun on the Mumbai batsman as he is a priceless player in Test cricket. Rahane has hit a slump in Test cricket in the recent past and his batting average is on the decline - it has slipped from 34.62 in 2017 to 30.66 in 2018. Even during India’s successful tour of Australia, he could only manage 217 runs at an average of 31. However, Kohli is willing to give him a long rope.

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“’Jinks’ [Rahane] has been a solid player for us through and through and that’s always been our communication,” Kohli said at the pre-departure press conference for West Indies series on Monday, 29 July. “He is one of the most sorted guys. Really, really composed, reads the game well also, priceless fielder, we have all seen the impact he can make in Test cricket with his slip catching and everything.

Kohli also believes that when the pressure is amped, Rahane stands up and performs and this is a great trait to have, especially in Test cricket.

“I think under pressure he has performed really well. The guy averages 43 [40.55] in Test cricket, it’s not like he is in the early 30s. I don’t think we should jump the gun on someone like Jinks because he has done the job for you under pressure,” Kohli said.

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“It’s a patch that anyone can go through but I think he will come around because he is that good a player and when he does, we know he can be very consistent,” the captain further added. “He is one of the pillars of our batting order that we can bank on. Him and [Cheteshwar] Pujara, as I’ve said, have been our most solid Test players.