Ajinkya Rahane emerges as the savior for India at Kotla

The young Ajinkya Rahane became the first centurion in the ongoing Gandhi-Mandela Test series. He scored 127 runs in the first innings (215b 10 fours, 4 sixes) and put up a 98-run partnership for the eighth wicket along with Ravichandran Ashwin (23*, 78b, 3 fours). This is Rahane’s first century on Indian soil after he had gone past the triple figures in Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

The first three Test matches did not witness even a single century and batsmen from either side failed to get there; though AB de Villers came very close to scoring one in the weather-marred third Test match at Bengaluru. AB scored 85 runs with the help of 11 fours and 1 six, facing 105 deliveries in a stay of 159 minutes at the crease.

Rahane broke the jinx and became the first batsman to record a century in the Test series. India is going strong at the moment at 326 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their first innings on day 2.

Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane, who has evolved as the most dependable batsman in the team over a short period of time, has come a long way since he made his Test debut on 22nd March 2013, against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, played at the same Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi, where the fourth and final Test is being played.

Rahane, who has been amongst the runs for the last 20 months or so in Tests and ODIs, admits his Test century at Lord’s remains very close to his heart.

Having played in 21 Test matches (31 innings), prior to the ongoing against South Africa, he has scored a total of 1,392 runs at an average of 39.77 with 147 as the highest score. He has 4 centuries and 7 half-centuries to his credit.

He was selected in the national team for the longer format after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. He performed exceedingly well in both the series against South Africa and New Zealand, scoring a century and a half-century in Wellington and Durban, respectively.

Now that he has broken the ‘jinx’ of failing at home (his last six innings in India read- 7, 1, 15, 2, 13 and 9) this hundred has not only given India an upper edge in the match but will also help his confidence real time.

Though he has a lot to do in his career, going by his potential and promise, Ajinkya Rahane is certainly a young batting star to look forward to.