Former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar has hailed the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane in the last two Tests against Australia and said that players are more at ease under him than Virat Kohli. His comments came after India drew the third Test against Australia in Sydney. Dilip Vengsarkar pointed out that Rahane pulled the team out of the horror of Adelaide and played a match-winning knock to help his team win in Melbourne. He also praised his captaincy in the field in the third Test at the SCG.
Speaking to Times of India, Vengsarkar has said that the team has blossomed under Ajinkya Rahane after their Adelaide debacle and shown tremendous character in the next two Tests.
“The team has really blossomed under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane. India were bundled out for 36 and lost the match (in the first Test in Adelaide) but the way Rahane led the team after the Adelaide defeat is amazing. Ajinkya showed tremendous character,” Vengsarkar said.
Also Read: David Warner Apologizes To Mohammed Siraj For Facing Racist Slurs In Sydney
He further said that the Indian players are more at ease under Rahane. Not only the senior players but the ones like Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill and Navdeep Saini have impressed under him in the series.
Players Are More At Ease Under Ajinkya Rahane: Dilip Vengsarkar
“Players are more at ease under Rahane. He has given the freedom to his players. Freedom is the top most thing that Rahane has injected into the team. Not just Ashwin and Jadeja, the youngsters Siraj, Saini, and Gill also impressed in the series. Ajinkya has done a fantastic job in Virat’s absence,” Dilip Vengsarkar added.
Chasing 407 for victory, India were reduced to 272 for 5. However, Hanuma Vihari (23* off 161) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39* off 128) put on a 62-run sixth-wicket stand off 259 balls to eke out a memorable draw.
Meanwhile, Team India reached Brisbane on Tuesday morning. With the team grappling with injuries and missing key players, the selectors have a challenge of putting out a strong playing XI for the final Test.
Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar Backs India To Win at The Gabba