Rahane makes case as opener

INDORE: Ajinkya Rahane’s role in Indian team’s dominant streak has been understated. The likes of MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have made the headlines with their performances in the ongoing series.

Rahane, who has been opening the innings after Shikhar Dhawan was declared unavailable for the first three ODIs, had a rough start to the series as he failed in the Chennai ODI. However, in Kolkata and Indore, he chipped in with gritty fifties.

STUDY IN CONTRAST

The 29-year-old’s fifties in the last two ODIs have been a study in contrast.

In Kolkata, with Rohit Sharma getting out cheaply, he aggressively tackled the Austra- lian bowling and allowed Virat Kohli to settle. His 102-run stand with Kohli at Eden Gardens laid the foundation for a total that the bowlers could defend. In Indore, with Rohit blazing away and hitting sixes at will, Rahane held his end up and maintained a steady scoring rate. The 139-run stand gave India the perfect platform from which they could chase down Australia’s 293/6.

DHAWAN STAYS OUT

Rahane’s exploits in Kolkata and Indore and Dhawan’s inability to recover in time, ensures that the Mumbai batsman will continue to open in the remaining two ODIs.

The right-hander’s consistency means that he cannot be easily dropped from the opening slot even if Dhawan would have made a comeback.

Ever since the start of the West Indies series, Rahane has managed scores of 62, 103, 72, 60, 39, 5, 55 and 70.

A total of 466 runs at an average of 58 is a sign that Rahane has matured as an opener, unlike in the 2013/14 period when he failed to capitalise.