Murali Kartik Sheds Light On The Challenges That Ajinkya Rahane Will Have To Face In The Boxing Day Test

With India having suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Australia in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval and the duo of Virat Kohli [paternity leave] and Mohammed Shami, and his own form under the scanner, it cannot get any tough for stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane as he aims to pull the visitors out from the dead in the forthcoming three-Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Rahane endured a nightmare outing in the first Test. Not only did he had a ‘brain-fade’ moment when he sold skipper Virat Kohli down the river during the first innings, but he also failed to capitalize on the start that he had got; a recurring theme with his batting in the past 3-4 years.

Rahane’s personality is chalk-and-cheese compared to Virat Kohli. While Virat is a typical embodiment of ‘in your face’ character, one who never fails to show his emotions on the field, Ajinkya Rahane is calm and composed, and according to former Indian spinner Murali Kartik, this facet of his character will be reflected when he captains the team on the field.

“He has a very quiet nature, so that will be reflected in his captaincy as well. There will not be any overt celebrations and I feel he reads the game well. When we have played Ranji Trophy against him, he is an organized person, that is what you can expect from him,” Kartik said on Sony Sports Network.

“The interesting thing will be that we have lost the match, Prithvi Shaw has not looked confident in both innings and on top of that Virat Kohli is not there, so what changes they will make to the team,” he added.

With Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami not available and the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Wriddhiman Saha having a horrendous outing in the first Test, heads are expected to roll in the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, and according to Murali Kartik, Ajinkya Rahane and the team-management will have to ensure that they come up a with a solid plan to counter the rampaging Aussies.

“These are the kind of things Ajinkya Rahane will have to think about because confidence has to be infused now. You need to play the players who do not have the baggage, who can help you in making a comeback,” Kartik said

“Australia is a tough place and when you are down, you need to know what sort of players you want and go with them. Their bowlers are on top, they know they can dismiss us, so you need to think about what you can do because you not only have to save the match but win the match if you have to do anything this time. So, that will be more important for Ajinkya Rahane and the entire team management,” added Murali Kartik.

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