Since Virat Kohli left for India on paternity leave and handed the captaincy to Ajinkya Rahane, the stand-in skipper has made sure to not disappoint the fans and critics.
From winning the Boxing Day Test to drawing an almost losing match at Sydney, Rahane‘s tactical moves have made sure to keep India running in the game for the Border–Gavaskar Trophy.
Rahane was especially appreciated for sending wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant up the order to maintain a left-right combination.
His move worked as Pant fired a blistering 97, reviving hopes of an India win. After his wicket, Hanuma Vihari came to the crease and he along with R Ashwin denied Aussies the victory.
So talking about the memorable draw, Rickey Pointing told Unplayable Podcast that Rahane’s decision to send Pant above was a “masterstroke”.
“Very good proactive captaincy or coaching for sending Rishabh up. For India to stay in with a chance to win, they needed to do that. He had a little bit of luck…