Ajinkya Rahane: The quiet leader behind India's unforgettable Australia 2020 triumph

There are some cricketers whose greatness is measured not only by the runs they score or the matches they play, but by the moments they rise to when their team needs them the most. Ajinkya Rahane belongs firmly in that category.

The man who perhaps should have captained India in more than just six Test matches has officially called time on his international career. Rahane's retirement brings to an end a journey that saw him represent India in 85 Tests, 90 one-day internationals and 20 T20 internationals, while also featuring in 212 IPL matches across six franchises since the league's inaugural season in 2008.

A giant of Mumbai's domestic cricket, Rahane had to wait until 2013 to earn his Test cap, largely because the BCCI selectors kept playing another Mumbai talent, Rohit Sharma, despite his middling returns. Even before his much-anticipated yet unfortunately delayed Test debut against Australia, you got the impression that Rahane would have to face many more hardships in his career.

And he did, chief among them being ignominiously dropped from the Test team in South Africa, despite being the vice-captain, so that Rohit could be readjusted into the playing 11 on the basis of some incredible ODI form, which saw him hit a third double-century. As well as in 2021, when having helped orchestrate one of Indian cricket’s most heroic inversions away from home, he was promptly stripped of the captaincy once Virat Kohli returned from paternity leave.

Despite such injustice, Rahane quietly established himself as one of India's most dependable batters, especially in overseas conditions. He finished his Test career with over 5,000 runs at an average of 38, including 12 centuries. Significantly, eight of those hundreds came away from home, underlining his reputation as one of India's finest travellers with the bat during an era when overseas success became the benchmark for greatness.

His first name, Ajinkya, means "unbeatable." Yet, as Rahane himself reflected in his retirement message, cricket taught him defeat on many occasions. He experienced lean patches, criticism and periods on the sidelines. But what defined him was not the setbacks; it was his ability to fight back, reinvent himself and remain relevant for as long as he did. He never relied on noise or headlines. His answer was almost always to let his cricket do the talking.

Instagram content

His 48 in the second innings of the Johannesburg Test, which came after two matches on the bench on account of Kohli and Ravi Shastri favouring Rohit, was as good as century. And it helped India win the dead rubber.

For many fans, there will be several memorable innings to look back on. His magnificent century at Lord's in 2014 remains one of the finest by an Indian batter in England. But if one chapter defines Rahane's legacy, it is undoubtedly the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

India had just been bowled out for 36 in Adelaide, suffering one of the darkest moments in their Test history. Kohli returned home after the opening Test, leaving Rahane to captain a battered side that had lost both confidence and key players. Few gave India a realistic chance.

Rahane responded in the best way possible. From the very first day at the MCG, his tactical acumen set the tone. Despite Australia winning the toss and batting, he refused to let the hosts settle, employing attacking fields with leg slip, leg gully and a packed off-side cordon that constantly created pressure. His field placements directly accounted for the prized wickets of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, while his inspired handling of debutant Mohammed Siraj brought Cameron Green’s dismissal.

Rahane then led by example with the bat, producing one of the finest centuries by an Indian overseas captain. His composed 112, built with remarkable patience before accelerating against the second new ball, earned India a crucial 121-run first-innings lead and made him only the second Indian after Vinoo Mankad to score two Test hundreds at the MCG.

In Australia’s second innings, Rahane once again marshalled his depleted bowling attack superbly, restricting the hosts to 200 despite India losing a frontline pacer early. Chasing just 70 on the final day was far from straightforward after India slipped to 19 for two, but Rahane’s calm presence ensured there would be no late collapse. It was a complete, match-defining performance in which his captaincy, tactical awareness and batting all combined to produce one of India’s most famous overseas victories, drawing comparisons with Rahul Dravid’s all-round match-winning contribution in Adelaide in 2003.

In the weeks to follow, Rahane’s composed leadership became the foundation of one of India's greatest overseas triumphs as the visitors recovered from a 0-1 deficit to win the series 2-1, capped by the unforgettable victory at the Gabba.

The numbers also tell an impressive story. India won four of the six Tests Rahane captained, drawing the other two. He never lost a Test as India's captain. Yet, once Kohli returned, Rahane stepped aside without complaint. Perhaps because he was never the flashiest cricketer or the biggest box-office attraction, his leadership often did not receive the recognition it deserved.

Sandwiched between some of India's greatest batters of the modern era, Rahane still carved out an identity that was uniquely his own. Quiet, dependable and resilient, he earned the respect of teammates and opponents alike.

Statistics will always tell one part of Rahane's story. But when Indian cricket looks back on one of its greatest overseas victories, Australia 2020 will forever ensure that his legacy remains secure.

Click here to read article