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SA vs IND, 2nd Test: Twitter Unimpressed As In-Form Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Ajinkya Rahane Fail To Make Playing XI

By Prince

Updated - 13 Jan 2018, 03:04 PM

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As if the decision to drop Ajinkya Rahane from the playing eleven for the first Test, on tour to South Africa, was not enough, the Indian team-management sprung a huge surprise before the second Test too by not recalling the Mumbai batsman in addition to dropping the in-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

With Rahane being one of India’s best performers in overseas Tests in recent times, his omission came as a major surprise. While he averages a modest 36.88 at home, it soars up to more than 53 when he plays outside India. Six of his nine Test centuries have come outside India, as he has amassed 1817 runs in 24 overseas Tests. However,  Rahane paid the price his poor performance in the series against Sri Lanka at home, making way for Rohit Sharma as captain Virat Kohli made it clear that the team-management preferred form over reputation.

“Well, we decided to go on current form. Rohit has scored runs in the last three Test matches that he has played, and he was batting well,” Kohli had said after the 72-run loss. “We did that similar thing in the past and Shikhar as well. Look, these things can always be looked at in hindsight – thinking what if or what if not. But we decided to go with this combination and current form was definitely the criterion.

But few days after Kohli’s statement, the Indian team defied its own policy by bringing in Ishant Sharma in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the ongoing second Test. Bhuvneshwar was India’s best bowler in the first Test, picking up 6 wickets in the game including the burst in the first innings that had reduced South Africa to 12 for 3. Rahane, who was tipped by many to return to the playing eleven for the second Test, was also ignored for the second game in a row, much to the surprise of fans who took to Twitter to express their views over the surprising selections.

Here are some of the reactions: 

https://twitter.com/Miteshp37480407/status/952087238963208192

https://twitter.com/Being_Mediocre/status/952082279072870401

https://twitter.com/bhadmaijaoaap/status/952085670066966528

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