'They have performed for years, should respect that' - Ajinkya Rahane backs senior India Test players amid lean patch

Ajinkya Rahane was considered to be one of India’s best Test batters not too long ago and had also led the team brilliantly from the front during then skipper Virat Kohli’s absence as they came back strongly to win the four-match Test series 2-1 against Australia. However, it is to be noted that Rahane has not contributed immensely ever since his match-winning 112 at the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne from the same series.

While the Test specialist has already been sacked from vice-captaincy, there are reports of him and other seniors including Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, etc. being dropped from the Indian squad in order to make room for youngsters possibly with an eye on the ICC World Test Championship 2023.  Reacting to the same, the Mumbai cricketer has made it clear that all the experienced players have really performed well in the last few years which needs to be respected.

Ajinkya Rahane backs India’s senior Test players

“The names that you took- Ishant, Wriddhi, and Pujara, these guys have performed consistently for years. Wriddhiman, whenever he got an opportunity, he did really well. He has scored runs in crucial moments and has taken brilliant catches. Playing 100 Tests for a fast bowler is not an easy thing. Ishant has done that. He has performed consistently and taken wickets at crucial times. These guys have been performing for years. We should all respect that”, said Rahane while speaking to Times of India.

In India’s last Test series against South Africa, Ajinkya Rahane could just manage 136 runs averaging 22.66 including one half-century. The middle-order batter’s performances on the 22 yards were not up to the mark in the year gone by as he failed to make an impact either in the WTC final against the eventual champions New Zealand or in the subsequent five-match series against England.

In 2021, the 33-year-old scored just 479 runs in 13 Tests averaging  20.83. Now, he has been named in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad where he would be playing under youngster Prithvi Shaw. The red-ball specialist would be hoping to silence his critics with the bat in the domestic tournament and make a comeback in the longest format.