India will face Australia in the Test Championship final on June 7 at The Oval Cricket Ground in London. Meanwhile, senior India batter Ajinkya Rahane has been recalled to the Indian squad due to his good domestic form and the recently finished Indian Premier League. Notably, Rahane has been sidelined from the Indian squad after his poor performance in Test last year.
Meanwhile, speaking about Rahane’s mindset and preparations for the upcoming prestigious game, former India leader Sanjay Manjrekar praised him. Manjrekar in a recent interview said that Rahane would be more relaxed and comfortable during the game. “In terms of thinking, there will be slightly less pressure on him because he was almost dropped, and he has got one more opportunity. He will feel slightly relaxed as though he got a post-retirement scheme.”
“Ajinkya Rahane’s form will start from his form in his last international Test match. I have also played first-class cricket after getting dropped. You score runs but don’t get that much confidence. There is a different kind of pressure in Test cricket and different quality. (Cheteshwar) Pujara scored runs in the last few matches, and Virat Kohli scored a century in his last match”, he further added.
“I will not have too many expectations from him”, says Manjrekar
The cricketer-turned-commentator continued by claiming that he expects more from Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli in the WTC final than he does from Rahane. He said, “I don’t think you will see a different Ajinkya Rahane in this Test match. If he is successful, it is very good, but I will not have too many expectations from him. My main players will be Rohit Sharma, Pujara and Virat Kohli.”
Rahane has a mediocre record in England, with 729 runs at an unimpressive average of 26.03 in 15 Tests. He will be hoping to play a big knock as India looks to improve on their runner-up status in the last Test Championship cycle. Notably, India will face Australia in the finals of the Test Championship at the iconic Oval Cricket Ground in London from June 7.
