Former India opener Wasim Jaffer feels that inconsistent Ajinkya Rahane who has been re-appointed as vice-captain has to find a way to score runs regularly to solidify his spot in the team. Rahane who made a comeback on the back of good Ranji season and a terrific Indian Premier League (IPL) season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after players got injured has failed to score in Caribbean conditions so far. While he starred with crucial knocks including a half-century in World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final against Australia, questions have been raised over his consistency once again.
"Rahane will have to show consistency in his game, which has been his problem even though he has played 80-90 Tests (84). Consistency has been an issue, he will have to overcome it because India have a good captaincy option in him after Rohit Sharma is done.
"Rahane will have to make runs, and then everything else will follow," Jaffer told media during an interaction organised by Jio Cinema on July 21.
Jaffer said that the selectors see him as a captaincy prospect. Also, he would have been captain after Virat Kohli if not for his inconsistent run with the bat.
"If his form was great from that Australia series after that 36 all-out, the way he led, scored a hundred in Melbourne… had his form remained the same, he would have been the next Test captain. But he lost his form and got dropped," he said.
"However, he reinvented himself in the IPL and got a chance in the WTC final. He was appointed the vice-captain as well, because the Indian selectors see a good leader in him. He still has age on his side but he needs to score runs, if he does not then he will find it difficult," he added.
While Cheteshwar Pujara has been dropped from the Test squad, Shubman Gill has been given the chance to prove his mettle at no.3. Gill is yet to make a mark but Jaffer feels it will be tough for Pujara to make a comeback.
"As far as Pujara is concerned, I feel it will be a little difficult going forward," the former India opener said.
"You also have to start looking at the new boys for the next World Test Championship cycle. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant will come back. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been successful. (Shubman) Gill will play in all three formats. I feel it will be difficult for Pujara to make a comeback."
Jaffer feels that Gill will not be happy the way he threw his wicket away and there is a need to understand the conditions and adapt to them.
"Looking at the bigger picture, he wants to bat there for a longer period. But the start has not been the way he wanted. In this Test match and in this innings, he had a good chance, the wicket was good, (the team) had got a good start. I felt he played a little loose and he obviously will be disappointed with that dismissal, and that is where he needs to tighten up. He likes the ball coming on to the bat, because of so much of white-ball cricket he is used to hitting on the rise," he said.
"He wants that pace which is found in white-ball cricket. But in red-ball cricket, on wickets like these, probably in India when he plays, it is not easy to play on the rise. He just needs to understand that and improve his game for those conditions."
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