"I am not 100% convinced" - Aakash Chopra on Ajinkya Rahane's altered technique in the WTC final

Aakash Chopra is unsure whether Ajinkya Rahane's slightly modified technique is the correct approach to batting.

Rahane scored 89 runs off 129 balls in India's first innings of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in London. Although his knock helped Rohit Sharma and Co. avert the follow-on, Australia finished Day 3 (Friday, June 9) with a comfortable lead of 296 runs, with six second-innings wickets in hand.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube, Chopra was not too convinced about Rahane's predominant back-foot play, stating:

"Ajinkya Rahane has made a slight change in his technique. Both his feet stay within the crease, he is playing extremely late, which is a good thing, but he is not going forward at all. I am 50-50 with that, I am not 100% convinced that it is the right way to play."

The former Indian opener pointed out that the Mumbai batter's approach was in contrast to Virat Kohli and Marnus Labuschagne's front-foot commitment:

"That is one way to play and then there is Virat Kohli's way, who got a wicket-taking ball for sure but could it have been negotiated better? Marnus Labuschagne also does like that - the front-foot commitment. That is why probably he gets hit a lot. You might be able to negotiate that ball better if you play it on the back foot."

Kohli was dismissed while trying to play a snorter from Mitchell Starc on the front foot. Labuschagne has been struck multiple times on his body while batting out of the crease.

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"Ajinkya Rahane batted extremely well" - Aakash Chopra

Ajinkya Rahane struck 11 fours and a six during his innings.

However, Aakash Chopra praised Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur (51 off 109) for ensuring that Australia didn't have the option to enforce the follow-on:

"Ajinkya Rahane batted extremely well. Got out in the end for sure, got a life as well. If you see before that too, there were two lbw decisions where Pat Cummins overstepped, one was Rahane and the other was Shardul. You saved the follow-on and I feel they were anyway not going to enforce it."

The reputed commentator added that the duo's partnership ensured India's deficit was lesser than expected:

"You remained in the game for some time and reduced the margin somewhat. It seemed India will be behind by 250 runs, but you trailed by 170-odd runs when your innings ended."

Rahane and Shardul strung together a 109-run seventh-wicket partnership when India were in a precarious position at 152/6. The No. 5 batter was slightly unfortunate to miss out on a century by 11 runs as Cameron Green took a brilliant catch at gully off Pat Cummins' bowling to send him back to the pavilion.