Rahane’s captaincy masterclass puts heat on Kohli as England loom

NEW DELHI: Ajinkya Rahane’s calm and composed leadership of India in their stunning Test triumph over Australia earned widespread praise Wednesday -- and increased pressure on regular captain Virat Kohli ahead of a home series against England next month.

The whole Indian team have become national heroes for their 2-1 series victory sealed in the dramatic finale in Brisbane on Tuesday, where no team had beaten Australia in 32 years.

India coach Ravi Shastri hailed Rahane’s tactical command in the series as “simply brilliant”.

Rahane, 32, took over from Kohli after India’s humiliating opening loss in Adelaide where they were bowled out for 36 and masterminded a spectacular return against Tim Paine’s Australians.

India chased down a target of 328 with 18 balls to spare on the fifth day of the final Test in Australia’s “Fortress Gabba”.

The Times of India newspaper hailed “Ajinkya The Invincible” for his unblemished record as skipper -- four wins and one draw in five Tests substituting for Kohli.

Kohli, who returned to India last month for the birth of his daughter, was among the first to pay tribute to the “grit and determination” shown by the injury-hit team as they retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli will be back as captain when the first Test against England begins in Chennai on February 5. But there have been calls for Rahane to stay on.

“I think I would have really considered keeping Ajinkya Rahane as captain,” former England skipper Michael Vaughan wrote on Twitter.

Letting Kohli concentrate on batting “would make India even more dangerous,” he added, praising Rahane’s “incredible presence and tactical nous”.

“Let Ajinkya Rahane remain the captain for Tests and Virat Kohli for white ball games,” said Vijay Lokapally, a veteran journalist and a Kohli biographer.