Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan feels that Ajinkya Rahane is under huge pressure in the ongoing series. Notably, Rahane has scored just 95 runs in five innings in the ongoing series against England. Since the start of the England series in 2016, the 33-year-old has averaged 33.77 in 48 Tests. This is the lowest Test average among any Indian top or middle batsman in the last 31 years. Notably, no other Indian batter has averaged under 35 across a 48-Test stretch.
In the Cricbuzz Chatter, a fan asked a question to Zaheer Khan about Ajinkya Rahane. The question stated “Should Rahane need some time off and go to domestic cricket? His stats show that he has been very inconsistent”
Zaheer Khan stated that among Pujara, Kohli, and Rahane, the Indian vice-captain is the one with the most pressure. Former India pacer pinpointed that Pujara has shown improvement but Rahane hasn’t. He stated:
“Among the number 3,4 and 5 batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane is the one who is under tremendous pressure. Previously Cheteshwar Pujara had more pressure on him. However, he found a way to come out of it by doing things differently for which he got success. Rahane hasn’t shown anything like that.”
Further, Zaheer Khan told that a player just can’t stay in the team based on his past achievement. He elaborated:
“Among two players one has stepped up his game. But the other player still isn’t looking very much comfortable. When you have played a lot of matches then you just can’t stay in the team based on past achievements. You have to fulfill everybody’s expectations.”
In the same video, some stats of Ajinkya Rahane were highlighted. According to those stats, Ajinkya Rahane has an average over 50 in the matches he played from his debut to October 2016. Notably, India’s vice-captain scored 2209 runs during that period. Meanwhile, Since November 2016 his average has been below 35 and he has scored only 2533 runs.
Indian players Average in this Test Series
46.00 – Rohit
42.00 – Rahul
32.40 – Pujara
26.60 – Jadeja
24.80 – Kohli
21.00 – Bumrah
19.00 – Rahane
18.75 – Shami
17.40 – Pant#INDvENG— ComeOn Cricket 🏏🇮🇳 (@ComeOnCricket) August 29, 2021
Zaheer Khan praised KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Joe Root
While talking about the good performers, Zaheer Khan showered praise on Indian openers and England captain.
“In the ongoing series Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have been performing very good and they just keep getting better. From team England Joe Root is in a purple patch.” : Zaheer Khan said
Former Indian speedster feels that when a player plays a lot of games for his team then his role in the team completely changes.
“When you are playing for a very long time. Like Ajinkya Rahane has played 70-80 Test games. Then the role of a player in the team is completely different, alongside your game you have to show responsibility and set the example for the youngsters. When you go ahead in your career like that then scrutiny related to everything increases.” : Zaheer Khan concluded
