Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha. Image Courtesy: PTI

Former India off-spinner, Pragyan Ojha is confident that Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Indian side well in the remaining three Test matches of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Regular skipper, Virat Kohli has left for home after Adelaide Test — to attend the birth of his child with his wife and Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma.

Kohli’s deputy, Ajinkya Rahane is tasked not only to lead the side on the field but also to pull the team mentally out from the abyss of the Adelaide debacle. The visitors were humiliated on the third day of the pink-ball Test by the Australian pacers as India succumbed to their lowest ever total of 36 in Test cricket.

Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane [Photo-BCCI]
Pragyan Ojha considers Rahane as a hard-working cricketer, and someone with strong ethics, on and off the field. Ojha opines that Rahane’s strength is that he doesn’t speak too much stuff and he believes in making his actions speak louder than his words.

The former spinner reckons the Delhi Capitals opener is brilliant as a captain and a leader; Rahane has captained India in 2 Test matches in Kohli’s absence – once against Australia and Afghanistan at home – and has emerged victorious in both encounters.

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Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli (Credits: Twitter)

However, the 32-year-old has a monumental challenge in front of him: away from the comforts of home; without Kohli and Mohammed Shami; and a fragile top and lower order.

“Rahane, if you look at his hard work, ethics, everything is spot on. The only thing is that he never speaks but that is his strength. He is someone who believes that his action speaks louder than words. I am very confident he will do well, Ajinkya as a leader is top-notch,” Pragyan Ojha told Sports Today.

Now India can play cricket freely: Pragyan Ojha

Nathan Lyon, Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin dismisses Steve Smith [Photo-Twitter]
The 34-year-old feels that since India lost the first Test badly, and things can’t be worse than the 36 all out, the batters will play freely in the Boxing Day Test. Ojha laments the loss of Kohli, Mohammed Shami, and Ishant Sharma, and the unavailability of Rohit Sharma.

“India is in a corner now. This is the time… I see it this way. A lot of things have gone against India. Virat Kohli is not there, Ishant and Shami are injured, Rohit Sharma is still not available. The pressure of defending the trophy is going away from you. Now you can play cricket freely,” Ojha added.

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