When Kohli returned, Rohit was injured… Then Rahane made history, India’s greatest victory in Australia after being all out for 36 runs
Ajinkya Rahane retires: In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ajinkya Rahane took over the captaincy after Virat Kohli returned on paternity leave and Rohit Sharma missed the first two Tests. Despite being bowled out for 36 runs in Adelaide, he managed the team and won the Melbourne Test. After drawing the Sydney Test, India broke Australia’s 32-year-old record at the Gabba to win the historic series 2-1.
Considered one of Indian cricket’s most dependable batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket. Rahane shared the information about his decision through an emotional video and post on social media on Thursday (30 July). The 38-year-old Rahane played many memorable innings in his career, but his captaincy against Australia in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is counted among the golden chapters of Indian cricket history. In Indian cricket history, the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is counted among the most memorable series.
In the Adelaide Test, India was bowled out for just 36 runs in the second innings, which is its lowest score in Test cricket.
After this, captain Virat Kohli returned to India on paternity leave because his wife Anushka Sharma was about to give birth to their daughter Vamika. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during IPL 2020. For this reason, he could not play the first two Tests. In such a difficult phase, the command of the team came into the hands of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Rahane first of all changed the atmosphere of the dressing room. His clear message was that the discussion of being all out for 36 runs will never happen again. He told the players to accept what happened and move forward, because the next Test was scheduled to start just three days later. Rahane told the players not to worry about what people outside are writing. The team just needs to unite and play good cricket.
The Historic Comeback That Began in Melbourne
Under Rahane’s captaincy, India made a strong comeback in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test. Rahane himself played a brilliant captaincy innings of 112 runs, and India won the match to level the series 1-1. After this, Team India fought hard in the Sydney Test. Cheteshwar Pujara played a long innings, while Ravichandran Ashwin, despite an injured back, played a crucial role in saving the match by scoring an unbeaten 39 runs off 128 balls.
The final match of the series was played at the Gabba, where Australia had not lost a Test match in 32 years. India created history by chasing down the target of 328 runs with three wickets to spare and won the series 2-1.
Rohit, Pujara, and Ashwin became Rahane’s biggest support
Rahane later shared that during his captaincy, he received the most support from vice-captain Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravichandran Ashwin. All four players had been playing together for a long time and used to discuss strategies openly. Rohit could not play the first two Tests, but after returning for the last two matches, he also shared the leadership responsibility. Rahane mentioned that if he could not reach out to a player, Rohit would talk to them. This made his job much easier.
Boosted the Confidence of Ashwin and Pujara
In the early practice matches of the Australia tour, Ashwin was worried about his batting. Rahane told him to stop worrying about his batting and focus on his bowling, because that is what could win matches for the team. After this, Ashwin bowled brilliantly, and that same confidence showed in his batting as well. In the Sydney Test, despite an injury, he played a long innings and saved India from defeat.
At that time, questions were constantly being raised about Pujara’s slow batting, but Rahane told him clearly not to make any changes to his game. He said that the other batsmen would play around him. Pujara faced 928 balls in the entire series, tiring out the Australian bowlers, and his innings in Sydney and Brisbane became the foundation of India’s victory.
Message given to young players to play freely
During the series, many players including Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hanuma Vihari got injured. By the Brisbane Test, India was left with an inexperienced bowling attack. Rahane then told the new players that they would not get a bigger opportunity than this. He emphasized staying away from the pressure of winning or losing, focusing only on playing good cricket, and giving a tough fight to Australia. Rahane believed that when players are not under pressure, they give their best performance.
Rahane’s captaincy record is also spectacular
Ajinkya Rahane captained India in a total of six Test matches, out of which they won four matches and two ended in a draw. Under his leadership, India did not lose a single Test match. The 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory in Australia is included among the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket. This victory was also special because despite the absence of Virat Kohli, the initial absence of Rohit Sharma, and injuries to several players, India created history by defeating Australia on their own soil.
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