Ajinkya Rahane: Former Indian Test vice-captain and veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Following his retirement, Rahane made a significant statement regarding the Indian team’s management and senior players, sparking a new debate. India has suffered defeats in Test matches, even at home, in recent years.
Rahane is saddened by the team’s defeats and believes that simply giving opportunities to young players will not lead to success in Test cricket. He has advised retaining more senior players in the Test team and respecting them.
Seeing the team lose even at home
Ajinkya Rahane spoke openly about the Indian team’s future in Test cricket in the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast. He believes that retaining and respecting senior players is crucial for success in Test cricket. Rahane said, “I haven’t played Test cricket for the last two years. Sitting at home, I’ve seen the Indian team lose Test matches even on home soil. I believe Test cricket requires strong players. We need to develop players who can play hard for the team in difficult situations.”
He further said, “These days, many teams don’t seem to be playing hard in a difficult session. I don’t want to name any team, but I want to see players bravely facing difficult sessions. I played with him (Gautam Gambhir). I wasn’t with KKR when he was the coach. I never played under him when he was the coach. We played together when we came to England and in India. But I believe Test cricket is about playing session by session. You have to face difficult situations with patience.”
“I fear for the future of Test cricket”
Rahane said, “To be honest, I fear for the future of Test cricket. We all want Test cricket to survive, especially in countries like India, England, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. From what I’ve seen over the last 2-3 years, it seems it’s crucial to retain and respect senior players. Especially in India, all the senior players are leaving the team at once, which has caused problems. This is a big issue.”
He said, “Test cricket fans are the true cricket lovers. In the last two years, many new players have entered Test cricket. But I believe the Test team needs a balance of 7-8 senior players and 2-3 young players. What we’re seeing now is that almost all the players are new. There are hardly any senior cricketers left in the team. Test cricket needs senior players.”
Is all not well in Team India?
Rahane’s statement raises many questions. Although he didn’t name anyone, many are linking his statement to head coach Gautam Gambhir. His statement clearly indicates that things haven’t been entirely right with the senior players in Team India over the past few years, and this is why India’s performance has declined.
In fact, within six months of this year, veteran players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Test cricket. Now, Rahane has joined this list. The simultaneous departure of so many experienced players from the team is creating a significant void for the Indian Test team. In light of this, Rahane has emphasized giving more importance to senior cricketers than younger players.