Mumbai: It must feel good to be experienced – battle-hardened, not battle-scarred. Having endured the ups and downs that come with a long career in whites, nothing should faze you.
Catch Ajinkya Rahane in an honest-to-fault mood and he might admit, as a senior pro, he felt the pressure.
His last Test was back in July 2023. The former India captain chose to grind it out in domestic cricket at nondescript grounds in the absence of crowds and other trappings of international cricket. In this journey, the 37-year-old led Mumbai astutely to the Ranji title in 2023-24.
But his runs dried up. He had only 214 runs to show in 13 innings that year. The next year, he made 467 runs. Better in comparison, but not even half of what season toppers scored. At the start of the current season, the Mumbai selectors took the captaincy away from Rahane, a polite nudge that they expected more runs off him and that an abrupt finish could not be ruled out.
Close to completing two decades playing first-class cricket, Rahane needed a bright start to the season. In the away match against J&K, he managed only 27 and 0 in the opening Ranji Trophy Elite Group D fixture. Walking out to bat inside the first hour’s play against Chhattisgarh on a damp pitch at the Sharad Pawar Academy ground at the BKC following overnight rain, Rahane was made to battle early on.
Even though the Chhattisgarh pacers were not really quick, there was enough nip off the surface that made them threatening. The ball also wasn’t turning square, but was gripping due to the dampness underneath.
The team offered to send a lower-order batter at No.3 to play out the new ball. Rahane declined. He edged a few and there was one that he played ungainly off the back foot against left-arm spinner Aditya Sarvate, which a more alert fielder at short third might have pounced. Here’s where creases that come with experience come in handy. Rahane summoned slower gears as he battled it out. He knew the more time he spent at the crease, things would get easier.
After finding an able partner in Siddhesh Lad in a fourth wicket stand, Rahane’s backfoot punches began to flow against pace. The wristy flicks came into play against spin. Mumbai had scored 97 runs in the first session losing Musheer Khan (12), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (9) and Himanshu Singh (0). With Rahane in charge, they got as many runs in the second session without losing a wicket.
By stumps, the home team had pushed on to 251/5, their grip over the match not as firm with Lad dismissed on 80 and Sarfaraz Khan falling for one run. Rahane was still holding fort until he retired hurt on 118 due to cramp. But he would come out fresh on Sunday, eyeing a tall score.
“He was batting in an altogether different zone,” said Lad about Rahane, their partnership worth 165 runs. “Ajinkya was determined to make a difference, which he did after we were pushed behind at 38/3.”
In the twilight of his career, Rahane’s chances of an international return are bleak, but delivering meaningful runs at any level to take his team out of trouble is something top players take pride in. Rahane’s animated celebration after registering his 42nd first-class hundred showed how much he cared.