Wasim Jaffer lauds Ajinkya Rahane after his impressive comeback
India succumbed to their second consecutive defeat in World Test Championship final when they were battered by Australia at The Oval recently. The Pat Cummins-led side beat India by 209 runs to win the coveted WTC title. The Indian batters crumbled under pressure due to some disciplined bowling from Australia.
Ajinkya Rahane, however, stood tall in the face of adversity. In the first innings, he scored a fighting 89 that helped India avoid the follow-on. In the second innings, Rahane once again showed his mettle as he posted a sedate 46, giving India some hope of chasing a mammoth 444 down.
While the final turned out to be forgettable for the Indian side, Rahane’s individual performance was one of the rare silver linings. Former India opener, Wasim Jaffer, heaped praise on Rahane after the performance. Jaffer lauded Rahane for showing the ability to absorb pressure.
“The way he batted in both innings and absorbed the pressureâ€æ India were under pressure in both innings when he walked out to bat. India were chasing a big score in the first innings and it was the same story in the second innings. He has shown that he can absorb that pressure,” Jaffer told Sportskeeda.
“When Ajinkya Rahane plays attacking and positive cricket, he is a different player. I just hope he plays and he stays consistent from here on,” the 45-year-old added.
Ajinkya Rahane’s comeback story
Ajinkya Rahane had to have a strong Ranji Trophy 2022-2023 season in order to entertain hopes of an India comeback. He stood up to the challenge and scored 634 runs in seven matches at an impressive average of touch more than 57 while leading Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 season.
The 35-year-old followed it up with an excellent IPL season where he averaged 32.60 and had a blistering strike rate of 172.49. With the likes of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul ruled out of the WTC final with injuries, India needed an experienced player and an in-form Rahane was recalled. The stylish batter would look to build on his performance when India take on the West Indies in July in a two-match Test series.
