Like Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar Finds Another Star India Captain Who "Never Got The Credit He Deserved"

India has had many trailblazing captains, be it Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi or Sourav Ganguly. Then there are those whose trophy cabinets are overflowing with success, like Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni. There is also the third kind, the quiet ones. They did the job entrusted to them with quiet resolve and rarely failed. Ajinkya Rahane is one of that kind. He was never named a regular captain, yet under him India had one of their most memorable series wins ever.

Rahane retired from international cricket recently, and the BCCI paid him a moving tribute. "His finest chapter came during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Rahane took over the captaincy at a time when India was facing one of its toughest moments after being shot out for 36 in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. With the squad navigating the challenges and restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, expectations were firmly against India. He led from the front with a magnificent century at the MCG that levelled the series," the BCCI wrote.

"What followed was one of the greatest triumphs in Indian cricket. Under Rahane's calm leadership, India overcame injuries, inexperience and adversity to secure a memorable series victory, capped by the historic win at The Gabba, where Australia's 32-year unbeaten record came to an end. Leading India in six Test matches, Rahane remained unbeaten as captain, winning four and drawing two. His leadership was marked by clarity of thought, sound judgement, and the belief he instilled in those around him."

Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar also praised Rahane and compared his captaincy record with Rahul Dravid's.

"His record as a skipper is exceptional, with four wins out of six and no losses. Like Rahul Dravid, who also had some terrific wins under his captaincy but never got the credit he deserved, so also Rahane's leadership hardly got the applause that it merited. This is typical of Indian cricket. When the team wins, all praise goes to the individual achievers, be it batters or bowlers, but when the team loses, the captain and the coach get the blame," Gavaskar wrote in Mid-Day.

"After the demoralising collapse of 36 all out in the first Test of the 2020-21 series Down Under, it was Rahane, along with Ravi Shastri, who picked the team up from the dumps. The vice-captain took over a ship that was ready to sink and not only sailed it into calmer waters but also gave India an unprecedented first win at Australia's fortress, 'The Gabba', and with it the series victory too. In fact, in the final Test of the series, when most of the top players were unavailable due to injury, India pulled off one of its greatest victories in Test cricket. It proved once again, if ever it was needed, that nobody is indispensable in this game."

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Sunil Gavaskar Rahul Dravid Ajinkya Rahane India Cricket Team Cricket