Australia vs India 2020-21: This Could Be Ajinkya Rahane's Best Test Hundred - Sanjay Manjrekar

Former India batsman, Sanjay Manjrekar heaps high praise on Ajinkya Rahane after the latter notched his 12 Test ton under difficult circumstances against a lethal Australian bowling attack on the second day of the ongoing Boxing Day Test.

Ajinkya Rahane, who is the interim skipper in absence of Virat Kohli, pulled India out from a fragile situation at the score of 64/3 to take a lead of 82 runs by the end of the day’s play. He stitched vital partnerships with Hanuma Vihari, then Rishabh Pant, and later with Ravindra Jadeja towards the end of the day

It was an innings of quiet resolve: Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar feels that Rahane’s latest hundred is also his best one. He points out that Rahane was under huge pressure; the team was recovering from the Adelaide debacle, no Kohli, a strong Aussie bowling attack, overcast conditions- hence Manjrekar makes such statement.

“I think this is very close to being his best Test hundred. He got his first Test hundred in Wellington but the hundred that comes close to this one is the hundred that he got at Lord’s,” Sanjay Manjrekar told Sony Sports Networks.

“Here, India were under pressure 0-1 down, the pitch had something in it and he was the captain, additional responsibility, the quality of the bowling attack, looking at all those parameters, this could Ajinkya Rahane’s best Test hundred,” Sanjay Manjrekar opined.

The 55-year-old opines Rahane was resolved in his stay at the crease. After a few early plays and misses, Rahane dug in, held one end tight, and played different roles while batting with different partners. Rahane left a lot of balls outside off-stump and rarely looked uncomfortable in the later stager of his innings.

The former batsman also said that Ajinkya Rahane has shut down his critics, and stated that the right-hander doesn’t need any animated celebrations for that as his bat does the talking.

“Terrific innings, it was an innings of quiet resolve. I love people who step up with so much to prove. He has got some critics now but when he gets a hundred, that’s what he does, no histrionics, quietly raises the bat,” Sanjay Majrekar stated.

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