"Ajinkya Rahane has been a disappointment" - Wasim Jaffer on the vice-captain's display at Headingley 

Wasim Jaffer has analyzed the performances and future prospects of three key Indian batters in England - Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara.

The former opener said Rahane has simply been a 'disappointment' in this series, with his tally of just 95 runs after three Tests. Wasim Jaffer argued that the vice-captain needs to rectify his tendency to get out softly while also scoring some runs in the next two Tests if he gets a chance.

Wasim Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel:

"Ajinkya Rahane has been a disappointment. You know, he's been getting out through soft dismissals, mostly caught behind. A player of his quality shouldn't do that because the batting lineup depends a lot on him. He needs to fire if he gets another Test. On away tours, he's been a very consistent player, he's put up huge scores in Australia, England and South Africa. He needs to fire because the nets two Tests are very, very vital."

🚨NEW VIDEO🚨Ashwin kept Smith quiet in Australia, he can do the same to Root in England too. In this video I explain why Ashwin must play, and share my thoughts on Pujara, Kohli and Rahane among other things.Video: https://t.co/hGhvXbyAlp#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/505TWq3Gnj

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) September 1, 2021

Although the chances of Ajinkya Rahane getting dropped at the Oval are slim at the moment, if India decide to go ahead with this option, Hanuma Vihari is most likely to replace him. Vihari is more experienced than any other batters on the bench and also provides the team an extra part-time bowling option.

Cheteshwar Pujara should bat in the same way in the future: Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer lauded the contributions of Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara in the last Test. He remarked that Pujara should look to bat in a similar sanguine way in the future as well.

"Rohit batted really well. He looked set to score a hundred but unfortunately, he got out due to the umpire's call. Pujara batted magnificently. He got out on 91 on the morning of the 4th day but he batted really well till then. He looked in a very positive mindset," said Wasim Jaffer.

"Perhaps he should always bat in that way only because when he's just defending, he puts pressure on himself and his partner as there isn't much strike rotation too. I liked the way he batted here and I want him to continue because he's got the shots," added Wasim Jaffer.

The fourth and penultimate Test will kickstart at 3:30 PM IST at the Oval. The pitch is expected to be bouncy and seam-friendly at the start and then progressively favor spin as the game goes on.

Current ICC Test Rankings vs their rank on Jan 2021 of Indian batsmen Rohit Sharma - 5 from 15Virat Kohli - 6 from 2Rishabh Pant - 12 from 45Cheteshwar Pujara - 15 from 10Ajinkya Rahane - 18 from 6Ravindra Jadeja - 43 from 36KL Rahul - 48 from 59Big changes in 9 months pic.twitter.com/Ji5CsCm6BG

— Telugu Sports Adda (@DwarakaKrishna8) September 1, 2021