After cracking 159 against Chhattisgarh on a rain-affected day, Ajinkya Rahane revealed his hurt of being overlooked for India’s Test tour to Australia in the 2024-25 season. The 37-year-old dismissed the age factor. “It’s not about the age. It’s about the intent. It’s about the passion for the red ball and the hard work you put in the middle. So I don’t believe in that completely,” he said.
He then fished out the example of Australia great Mike Hussey, who made his Test debut at 30. “In Australia, you see, Michael Hussey made his debut 30s. Still he made runs. Experience matters in red ball cricket. I thought, personally, the Indian team needed me in Australia,” 37-year-old Rahane said after scoring his 42 first class hundred.
Rahane, the mastermind of India’s turnaround in the 2020-21 series, has been overlooked since the trip to West Indies in 2023 after a hundred-less run of 31 innings. In this period, he shone only sporadically, eking out only four half-centuries. He showed signs of resurgence with scores of 89 and 46 against Australia in the WTC final (2023), but thereafter got a solitary Test. He again dwelled on the age factor: “After 34-35 players are old. Players are always looking to do well. Players are always looking to give their best. And if someone is really passionate about playing red ball cricket. I think selectors should look into it. Because they come and watch the game. Every time it’s not about the performance. It’s about the intent and the passion and how you play with the red ball.”
He lamented the lack of communication from the selectors. “I thought an experienced player like me should get more chances. And there was no communication. I can focus on only the controllable things which I am doing right now. But as I said, the Indian team needed me in Australia and I was fully ready for it,” he said.
He then pointed out the examples of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the three-match ODI series Down Under. Rohit top-scored in two of India’s games and won the player of the match award. Kohli, after successive ducks, scored an unbeaten 71 in Sydney. “When you have guys like Rohit and Virat, who have won so many matches for India especially in white ball cricket, you need that experience in the team. You cannot go with all newcomers, or the young ones in the team. Young blood is important, but if you have experience, the team will do well. It is especially the case in red ball cricket. I was really happy to see Rohit getting that 100,” he said.
Before the season, rumours swirled that his position in the Mumbai team was shaky. The hundred, thus, brought him joy, which manifested as a gesture towards his family after reaching the landmark on Saturday. He took a dig at some of his critics. “There are many unwanted people. When they don’t know about the game, they still talk about a player who has been playing consistently with a good attitude and intensity. I always want to do well for Mumbai. They don’t know what it takes. As an international cricketer who has played for so many years, I think something clicked for me. But the support of my family and kids has been massive. They’ve always been with me. They said, ‘Daddy, you can do it’,” he said.
Before wrapping up the interaction, he passed a message to colleague Sarfaraz Khan, continuously overlooked by the national selectors, not considering him even for the India A game. “The only thing I can tell him is don’t get distracted and frustrated. It’s very easy to say but it’s very hard to do. You can just focus on playing cricket and keep scoring guns. He’s been doing that. But as a player, when you go through this phase, it’s really challenging and tough. But keep your head down and just focus on the controllable things,” he asserted.
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Brief Scores: Day 2: Mumbai 406 for 8 (A Rahane 159, Shams Mulani 30, Akash Anand 60; Aditya Sarwate 4 for 103.
