It is now known to everyone that Indian captain Virat Kohli will be playing just the first test against Australia at Adelaide (Dec 17-21). Post the completion of the first test match, Kohli will be flying back to India to be with his wife Anushka Sharma who is expecting a baby. Kohli had been granted paternity leave by Indian cricket’s parenting body, BCCI. Even though the move was welcomed it left a question that who will step up in Kohli’s absence? And people turned their eye towards one name, vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane.
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Virat Kohli’s Record against Australia is fantastic!
Virat Kohli is surely an unstoppable force. He is no longer just the star player, he is a captain who has earned praise from experts and fans across the world. Cricketing legends like Ian Chappell believe that Kohli is a great statesman and the game needs people like him to take it ahead. It is a challenge to step into the shoes of someone who is of the stature of Virat Kohli. Not only is he one of the greatest test batsman of his generation, but he also possesses a fantastic record against Australia in Australia. He has scored 6 centuries against the mighty Aussies in their den. Is it even fair to ask someone to replace such a force of nature?
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How different is Rahane as compared to Kohli?
Ajinkya Rahane is a stark contrast to Virat Kohli. Rahane is the chalk to Kohli’s cheese. If Kohli looks to dominate the opposition and announce his arrival, then Rahane breezes past his innings with opposition hardly knowing that he has already settled down. It is not to say that Rahane plays defensive cricket. On the contrary, he is dangerous when it comes to playing counter-attacking cricket. In the memorable partnership with Kohli against Australia in Melbourne in the boxing-day test match in 2014, Rahane had easily outscored Kohli and tore into a rampaging Mitchell Johnson. Rahane as a batsman will be knowing that he has to bring in his A-game against the hosts to challenge them.
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But what about the captaincy?
Virat Kohli is India’s most successful test match skipper. He is the only Indian captain to have a win percentage of more than 50% (considering captains who have led the team in 40 matches minimum). His stellar record as test captain is hard to match for anyone leave alone Rahane. But Rahane too boasts of having a 100% win record albeit he has captained India in 2 test matches. (One each against Australia and Afghanistan) Rahane’s captaincy was lauded when he led India to a memorable victory against Australia in the series decider in Dharamshala(2017).
But leading the team in a place like Australia comes with its own set of baggage. Rahane should be looking at this as an opportunity to let the entire world know that Indian cricket excels even without Kohli. It is high time he stepped out of the shadows cast by a giant personality called Kohli. It is time for other Indian players to leave their imprint on what is going to be their toughest challenge so far.
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