GREAT INNINGS AHEAD FOR AJINKYA RAHANE
FOLLOWING A VICTORY AGAINST AUSTRALIA IN HIS DEBUT AS TEST CAPTAIN, AJINKYA RAHANE MAY GO ON TO CREATE RECORDS BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER 2017
Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane marked his test captaincy debut with a victory when India defeated Australia in the deciding Test match at Dharamshala recently, while captain Virat Kohli was sitting out unfit. Although this should secure his place in the regular Indian team for a long time, it has been a long wait for him to get a break. He had to warm the benches and carry drinks for 16 months after he was named in the Test squad in November 2011. Moreover, he had to watch seven players make their debuts ahead of him. Also, his performance in the limited overs games — ODIs and T20s — was not very encouraging.
Rahane made his Test debut as a player through sheer luck in 2013 against Australia in Delhi when Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir were both declared unfit. Two single-digit scores in the game had the critics baying for his blood, but the Indian cricket board reposed faith in him and gave him a second chance in the South Africa tour of 2013-14. This time, Rahane grabbed the opportunity, and made 209 runs at an average of 69.66 in the series against a bowling attack packed with the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in it. During his Ranji debut in the 2007-08 season, Rahane averaged 62.04 after 100 innings. He scored over 1000 runs three times in his first five seasons, which put the spotlight on him. a boon for a sportsman. It makes him a determined, firm and ferocious warrior. Also, Mars is placed with giving him the subtle aggression which makes him capable of being victorious over any opponent. Moon-Mars and
Rahu in Aquarius make his chart strong. With the victory over Australia as a stand-in captain, his confidence will get a huge boost and he will perform even better in the future.