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Bruised, battered but not defeated, Ajinkya Rahane led India’s fightback in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in the last session of Day 2 and carried the intensity on Day 3. Back into the side after a hiatus of a year and a half, Rahane rose to the occasion and scored a half-century. Rahane got to the milestone with a massive six off Australia captain Pat Cummins to become first Indian to score a half-century in WTC final.
Rahane came close to scoring a half-century in the previous WTC final as well. He lost his wicket to New Zealand left-arm pacer Neil Wagner in the first innings. He scored 49 runs from 117 deliveries including five fours.
At the end of Day 2, Rahane was batting on 29 from 71 balls. He got an early reprieve when Cummins had trapped him in front of the stumps. But upon taking DRS, the replays showed that Cummins had bowled a no ball.
Early on Day 3, Srikar Bharat got out bowled to Scott Boland. Shardul Thakur survived two dropped catches as well. But Rahane held his nerves and brought up career's 26th Test half-century in the first hour of first session.
‘Reborn as a Test player’
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar had also lauded Rahane for his preparedness in the WTC final to go up against Australia’s quartet of seamers.
“He has been in very good form in the IPL. We have seen a different Rahane. Somebody who is prepared to take the attack to the bowling. He used to do that earlier on as well. But you know after a while, when you are one of the main batters, the responsibility can be that you curb a few shots. But it’s almost like he has been reborn as a Test player,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
“He last played a Test match in January 2022 against New Zealand (South Africa) if I’m correct. Then to come back now the way he has, he is looking good. He was a little bit of lucky with that no-ball being called. Every batter needs that little bit of luck. I’m hoping that he can carry on and take India to a total that is closer to Australia’s total,” he added.
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