"A Silent Warrior": After Retirement, Ajinkya Rahane Receives Ultimate Praise From Ex-Coach Pravin Amre
Ajinkya Rahane was a silent warrior who gave a fine example of his mettle during India's tour of Australia 2020-2021, said his former coach Pravin Amre on Thursday.
Ajinkya Rahane was a silent warrior who gave a fine example of his mettle during India's tour of Australia 2020-2021, said his former coach Pravin Amre on Thursday. The 38-year-old Rahane called it a day from international cricket three years after playing his last match for India, having played an overall 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is in a little over 12 years since making debut in 2011. “We know like what he did in Australia with that particular innings in Melbourne when the team was bowled out for 36 previously,” Amre told PTI Videos.
“From there, picking the team, performing, leading from the front and getting that hundred… I think that is the art of batsmanship and also the art of leadership on how to play, where morally the team was down and from there, beating the mighty Australians in their own soil.” “Ajinkya Rahane was always a silent warrior because he knew that whenever his team needed, he was there for the team. That is the way he had grown up and his attitude was like that. I'm really proud of it because most of them came in adverse situation and that's the art of batsmanship.” Amre recalled Rahane's First-Class debut for Mumbai against Karachi Urban side at the National Stadium in Karachi, where the right-handed batter struck 143 in his maiden outing.
“It was a special his debut was in Pakistan where he got his hundred in the first game, that's where he showed the spark, representing Mumbai and getting hundred in a first game,” Amre said.
“… that was very important as a player and I think that was he moment I felt like this boy had a lot a cricket in him and he had the potential to play for India,” he added.
For Amre, Rahane's 103 at Lord's which set up a famous victory for India during the 2014 tour was a knock that always stood out.
“The innings in Lord's on the green top wicket because we always we know when you perform, especially at Lord's, it is always a special moment. I personally feel that because I was very happy to see his name on the honours board,” Amre said.
Rahane's biggest moment as captain unarguably came in Australia 2020-2021 when he led a severely depleted Indian team to a historic 2-1 series win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Amre likened it to the Kargil war against Pakistan, where at several occasions the Indian army had to fight their way up on occupied peaks with the adversary sitting on the top.
“I remember talking to him that time when India lost that Test match (in Adelaide) and he became a captain. I personally feel like it was exactly like the Kargil moment, because the opponent were on the top, they (Indian team) were down and from there they went (on to) winning the series,” Amre said.
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Ajinkya Rahane
India Cricket Team