IND v AUS 2020: 'His actions speak louder than words'- Pragyan Ojha confident of Ajinkya Rahane's ability to captain the side

Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha is confident that Ajinkya Rahane will do a fine job while leading India in the remainder of their Test series against Australia.

Rahane is set to captain the Men in Blue for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy following skipper Virat Kohli's return to India on paternity leave.

Speaking on Sports Today's Youtube channel, Ojha said:

''India is in a corner now. This is the time... I see it this way. A lot of things have gone against India. Virat Kohli is not there, Ishant and Shami are injured, Rohit Sharma is still not available. The pressure of defending the trophy is going away from you. Now you can play cricket freely,"

''Rahane, if you look at his hard work, ethics, everything is spot on. The only thing is that he never speaks, but that is his strength. He is someone who believes that his action speaks louder than words. I am very confident he will do well, Ajinkya as a leader is top-notch." Ojha further added.

Getting ready!Snapshots from #TeamIndia's practice session at the MCG. 📷Getty Images Australia pic.twitter.com/Uia84yrvxR

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 23, 2020

India are 0-1 down in the four-match series after capitulating in the second innings of the Adelaide Test from a fairly strong position. The second Test will begin on December 26 in Melbourne.

Ajinkya Rahane's performance in 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar series

Ajinkya Rahane managed scores of 42 & 0 in the Adelaide Test.

Ajinkya Rahane will also be under pressure to perform as a batsman after Kohli's departure. It remains to be seen whether the stand-in captain will move up the order at No. 4 or stick to his usual No. 5 spot.

In the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the 32-year-old didn't have an easy time with the bat. Rahane played four Test matches and managed 217 runs at an average of 31 and best of 70.

If India are to have any chance of staging a comeback after the debacle at the Adelaide Oval, Ajinkya Rahane will need to lead from the front with his batting.

The first six of the series comes off the bat of Ajinkya Rahane! The new ball isn't far away.#AUSvIND live: https://t.co/LGCJ7zSdrY pic.twitter.com/fq4aBgkbTr

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2020