I Know Ajinkya Rahane Has Got A Good Record Overseas But His Time Seems To Have Passed – Simon Doull

Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has said that the India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has got good records in overseas games but his time has now passed.

A lot of questions have been raised over Rahane’s inclusion in the Test team despite his consecutive poor performances. Since scoring a match-winning century against Australia in the Melbourne Cricket Ground Test match last year in December his average has been in the mid-20s over the past 29 innings.

Also, in the first Test match in Kanpur against New Zealand, he was leading the side and he scored 35 and 4 runs. However, he suffered a hamstring strain and was not part of the Mumbai Test match.

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Speaking on Star Sports after India’s 372-run win against New Zealand in the Mumbai Test Simon Doull said:

“It’s a bit like airplane loyalty card points, at some point it’s going to run out, I know Rahane is a champion human being, I know he is a huge part of this setup and part of the leadership group.

“But players with far better numbers over 29 innings have been dropped from this team. I know he has got a good record overseas but his time seems to have passed.”

I Just Don’t Know If He Is As Good A Player As He Was Three Or Four Years Ago – Simon Doull On Ajinkya Rahane

Doull said that Indian Test vice-captain Rahane is getting out in a similar fashion and he is no longer as good as he was a few years back and a youngster needs to be included in the team in Rahane’s place.

“He is getting out in a similar fashion and I just don’t know if he is as good a player as he was three or four years ago. When the young guys are coming along and kicking the door down, like they are doing at the moment, they deserve an opportunity,” he asserted.

Doull further added that Rahane averages below 30 in the last 29 innings and it’s not enough as the standards set by the Indian team are really high. He also backed Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in the playing XI in the South Africa series over Rahane.

“If (Rahane) was averaging 34 or 35 in the last 29 innings with a couple of centuries, I would have said keep him in the squad. But when you are averaging 24 with one century in 29 innings, I just don’t think that’s good enough.

“From the standards that India set, these numbers are well and truly below par and the time has come to bring in a young player. I know it’s a tough introduction, but I think I will run with Shreyas Iyer,” Simon Doull further said.

Also Read: IND vs NZ 2021: I Enjoyed Wankhede And Every Day There Was Something New – Player Of The Series Ravichandran Ashwin

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