IND v AUS 2020: "Ajinkya Rahane is a bowler's captain" - Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma has described India's deputy leader Ajinkya Rahane as a "bowler's captain."

With Virat Kohli as captain and Ajinkya Rahane as his deputy, India always had a fire-ice combination in Test matches. However, now the fire has gone home on paternity leave, it's time for the ice to take over the saddle full-time.

The next three Test matches will showcase a lot about Ajinkya Rahane's personality. The sample size today is just of two Tests under him, both of which India won.

So what kind of captain is Ajinkya Rahane? Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma explained why he thinks he's a bowler's captain.

"I must say he's a bowler's captain. Whenever we have played together and Virat has not been around on the field, Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane's nickname) always asked me 'what kind of field you want, when you want to bowl just tell me, if you want to go on (bowling)'. So I think he's a bowler's captain."

Ajinkya Rahane is quiet, but confident - Ishant Sharma

Melbourne and Sydney are two of the most daunting grounds for captains. Here, pitches resemble highways and batsmen pile runs for fun. Being on the field in sweltering heat for days sucks the enthusiasm of the players, so the captain's role thus becomes even more important.

Ishant Sharma added that Ajinkya Rahane is quiet, but confident in what he does.

"You can see what kind of person he is in his captaincy. He is very quiet, obviously, he is very confident. He is very calm as well. I can't say he does not have a sense of humor. He jokes around with us. But he is very confident in what he wants to do."

Ishant Sharma said not only Rahane is calm and composed, but he is also very clear about his goals and processes.

"He's not someone who'll say: do this or do that. Even when Virat's there he asks me every single time 'how many overs you want to bowl so I will speak to Virat.' He is very clear about what he wants from his team."

Ajinkya Rahane's toughest captaincy assignment yet will begin on Boxing Day (December 26) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.