The recently-retired Ajinkya Rahane didn’t stir the pot much verbally during his playing days, but while making his first appearance on a podcast since calling time on his career, the former India batter made a couple of very interesting points regarding India’s struggle in Test cricket. While the Gautam Gambhir era has achieved success in white-ball formats, winning two ICC trophies in two years, the Indian team has suffered multiple lows in Test matches. Two home whitewashes have dwarfed the 2-2 draw in England last year, and as India, currently placed seventh, fight for a place in the World Test Championship final, Rahane emphasised the lack of fight that has taken hold across teams in Test cricket.
‘Test cricket needs for characters’
Rahane, who last played a Test for India in 2023, was still enjoying the high of India’s dominance, but strongly feels that the format needs grit, character, and doggedness for the team to reclaim its glory days. In a very subtle message to Gambhir and the Indian Test, Rahane has urged for more character as they step foot on Sri Lankan shores ahead of their two-Test series starting August 15 at Galle.
“Because I haven’t been playing Test cricket for the last two years, I’ve been sitting at home, watching the Indian team lose matches even in India as well. I think Test cricket needs character. You need to build such characters and play competitive cricket. That’s what’s important. Playing session out. You don’t see many teams do that. I don’t want to pinpoint any team, but you want to see people play out those tough sessions,” Rahane said on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast.
“I have played with him [Gambhir]. I was not with KKR when he was the coach. I never played under him when he was the coach. We played together when we came here [in England], and even in India. But I feel Test cricket is always about playing sessions, seeing out tough moments.”
‘Keep and respect senior players’
The second point Rahane made, regarding India hitting new lows in Test cricket, is how quickly the transition took place. India lost Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in a space of six months, and while he did not name any individual, Rahane stressed the importance of having more senior cricketers than youngsters in Tests. From the current Indian squad, only Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah have played 50 or more Tests.
“Test cricket fans are actual cricket lovers. What we built apart from the last two years when new players came in Test cricket, I still feel Test cricket needs 7-8 senior players and 2-3 younger players. What we are seeing now is that all the players are actually new. There’s hardly any senior cricketer left. So, Test cricket needs that,” Rahane added.
“Frankly, yes I do (fear for Test cricket). Because the way it is going, we all want Test cricket to survive, to be there – India, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. These 4-5 teams specially. Because what I have seen in the last 2-3 years, you need to keep and respect the senior players, especially because with the Indian team, all the senior players going out together at once, that’s been the issue.”
