Ajinkya Rahane is calm, but an apt stand-in captain: Sachin Tendulkar

Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar reckons that Ajinkya Rahane has all the qualities to stand-in for Virat Kohli in the Test series against Australia. Kohli led in the opening Test at the Adelaide Oval that the visitors lost by eight wickets and the onus will now be on Rahane to help India stage a comeback from being 0-1 down.

Tendulkar reckons that Rahane’s calmness shouldn’t be mistaken for him, not being aggressive. The Master Blaster said that even Cheteshwar Pujara tries his heart out, staying calm and composed.

Tendulkar backs Ajinkya Rahane

“Ajinkya has led India earlier also, and his calmness doesn’t mean he is not aggressive. Each person has his way of showing aggression. Someone who doesn’t show aggression doesn’t mean he’s not aggressive.

“(Cheteshwar) Pujara, for example, is very calm and composed; his body language is into the game, focussed. But that doesn’t mean that Pujara is trying any less than anyone else,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying in Business Standard.

Sachin said that each character has their own styles, but works towards a common goal that is to help their team taste victory.

“Each person has his own way of reacting and responding to situations, but I can assure you everyone’s destination is one; they’ve different routes to get there — and that is how they can make India win.

“So, Ajinkya’s would be a different style, different strategies. That is up to the team management — how they plan, how the pitch plays, and what our batting and bowling line-ups would be,” he added.

India have a massive task ahead of them going into the Boxing Day Test, starting December 26, after registering their lowest Test score of 36 during the second innings of the pink-ball Test. But India can take heart from the fact that the last time they played a Test in Melbourne, they came out trumps.

As far as Rahane is concerned, he scored 42 runs in the first innings of the Adelaide Test before falling for a duck in the second. However, going forward, it would be a test of skill and patience for the 32-year-old as India look to get going in the four-match series.