IND vs NZ 2021: Ajinkya Rahane Will Be More Upset That He Didn't Convert A Start In The First Innings - Wasim Jaffer
Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer believes that stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane will be more disappointed with failing to convert a start in the first innings than falling early in the second innings.
Rahane scored 35 in the first innings before getting into an awkward position to a Kyle Jamieson delivery and consequently getting bowled. In the second innings, he fell to Ajaz Patel after trusting his weak defence. Out of the two dismissals, Rahane will be more distraught with his first-innings dismissal, as per Jaffer.
“I think he will be more upset with the start he got in the first innings and didn’t convert into a big one because second innings, anytime you bat, will be hard on Day 4 and Day 5. But the first innings, when the conditions are good for batting, that’s where he will be upset that he didn’t convert into a big score.“
“So it’s going to be a big question when V<!---->i<!---->r<!---->a<!---->t<!----> <!---->K<!---->o<!---->h<!---->l<!---->i comes in – who goes out? And what kind of combination India plays because Mayank, Rahane, Pujara haven’t got runs. It’s going to be a big question mark going into the next Test,” Jaffer said in a conversation with ESPNcricinfo.
“I think in India when a batsman is out of form, a bowler sits out” – Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer went on to make a cheeky comment about the selection process during the matches playing in India, claiming that a bowler often gets dropped to accommodate an extra batter instead of the out-of-form batter getting axed from the playing XI.
“I think in India when a batsman is out of form, a bowler sits out [laughs]. So you might see four bowlers playing in Wankhede. It’s a tricky question because somebody who is a captain in the first Test – you will think twice before dropping him for the second Test,” Jaffer concluded.
Rahane is the stand-in captain, and Kohli will return for the second Test to take over the skipper’s role.
