IND vs NZ 2021: Enough Is Enough - Former Cricketer Calls For Axing Of Ajinkya Rahane From Test Squad
Former Indian cricketer Dodda Ganesh has criticized stand-in captain, Ajinkya Rahane, for his terrible run of form in the longest format of the game. He called for his exclusion from the squad after Rahane failed in the first Test against New Zealand as well.
Rahane had scores of 35 and 4 in good batting conditions at home, which indicates that he is well past his prime, and it’s time to look beyond him. There are plenty of options for Team India, one being Shreyas Iyer, who broke a couple of records on his debut.
On a Twitter post that mentioned that Rahul Dravid continued to back the out-of-form Rahane, Ganesh replied: “Even a tail-ender can get a 50 once in 15-20 innings. Enough is enough.”
Apart from Iyer, India also has the option of turning to Hanuma Vihari, who has been sent on India ‘A’ tour of South Africa to get acclimatized to the Protean conditions ahead of India’s tour of South Africa.
“Ajinkya Rahane is a quality player, and he has done well for India” – Rahul Dravid
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid defended the calls for the axing of Rahane, stating that it is a matter of one good innings before the 34-year-old gets back into form. However, with an eye on the South African tour, it is high time India starts looking at other options.
“He is a quality player, and he has done well for India in the past. He is one of those guys who has quality and experience, and it’s a matter of a game when he would like to turn it around, and he knows that, and we know that,” Dravid said.
When asked about the team changes for the second Test against New Zealand in Mumbai, Dravid said: “Look, we haven’t decided what will be our playing XI, and it’s too early. At least, today, our focus was on this game, and when we go to Mumbai, we will assess the conditions and check people’s fitness. Virat Kohli will join us, so we have to discuss with him also and then take a decision.”
The second Test begins at the Wankhede on December 3.
