5 England spinners who have dismissed Ajinkya Rahane in Tests

Ajinkya Rahane is regarded as one of the most accomplished batsmen in the Indian Test team. However, his frailties against spin have come to the fore quite regularly in the recent past.

The Indian vice-captain does not have a great record against England in the longest format of the game. He has scored 704 runs against them at an average of just 24.27 with just a solitary century.

Ajinkya Rahane's record against the Englishmen is even worse at home, as he has aggregated just 148 runs in six Tests at a mediocre average of 14.80. The 67 runs he scored in the first innings of the second Test in Chennai is the Mumbaikar's only half-century against them on home soil.

Out of Ajinkya Rahane's 29 Test dismissals against England, twelve have come against spin. He has been a victim of spin bowling seven out of the ten times he has been dismissed at home.

Let us have a look at the five England spinners who have got the better of Ajinkya Rahane in the longest format of the game.

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The 5 England spinners who have scalped Ajinkya Rahane's wicket in Tests

#T3: Zafar Ansari - Once

Zafar Ansari was the first England spinner to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane in India

The visiting England team played the first Test of their tour of India in November 2016 in Rajkot. Ajinkya Rahane was castled by Zafar Ansari in India's first innings after having scored 13 runs.

The classy right-hander played across the line of a good length delivery from Ansari. He missed the ball altogether as it went on to dislodge the off-bail after hitting his pad.

This is the only time Rahane has been dismissed by Ansari in the two Tests they have played against each other. He has scored just 4 runs off the left-arm spinner's bowling.

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#T3: Dom Bess - Once

Dom Bess dismissed Ajinkya Rahane in the first Test of the ongoing series

The first Test of England's ongoing tour of India was played in Chennai. Dom Bess got rid of Ajinkya Rahane during India's first innings.

The India No.5 danced down the wicket and played a Bess full-toss towards cover, only for Joe Root to pluck a sensational one-handed catch diving to his left.

Root. Captain fantastic. What a catch. #INDvsENG Rahane gone. Simply Dom Bess. #tailendersoftheworlduniteandtakeover pic.twitter.com/Xuvgsch3hI

— C R Hoops (@HoopsCR) February 7, 2021

Rahane scored just a solitary run in that knock and followed Virat Kohli, who was also dismissed by Bess in his previous over, to the pavilion.

This is the only Test Dom Bess has played against India to date, with Ajinkya Rahane yet to score a run off his bowling.

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#T3: Jack Leach - Once

Jack Leach is the latest England spinner to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane

Jack Leach became the fifth England spinner to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane in Tests when he did so in the recently concluded day-night encounter in Ahmedabad.

Rahane tried to cut a Leach delivery that was a little too full to play the shot. The ball hastened off the pitch to strike his pad just in front of off-stump for him to be ruled out LBW.

The Indian vice-captain managed just 7 runs in that knock, with his dismissal triggering a batting collapse on the second morning of the match.

Ajinkya Rahane has scored 24 runs off Jack Leach's bowling in the three Tests they have played against each other, although he didn't face the left-arm spinner in the first match of the series in Chennai.

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#2: Adil Rashid - Twice

Adil Rashid is the only England leg-spinner to have dismissed Ajinkya Rahane

Adil Rashid has snared Ajinkya Rahane's wicket twice in the longest format of the game.

Rashid first dismissed Rahane in the third Test of England's tour to India in November 2016, played at Mohali. The Mumbaikar was bamboozled by a googly that trapped him plumb in front of the wickets before he could open his account.

The leg-spinner again got the better of Rahane with a googly in India's second innings of the third Test of their return tour of England, played at Nottingham in August 2018. The latter had his off-stump knocked back as he tried to play a cut shot.

Ajinkya Rahane has scored 44 runs off Adil Rashid's bowling in the six Tests he has faced the leg-spinner.

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#1: Moeen Ali - 7 times

Moeen Ali has enjoyed great success against Ajinkya Rahane

Moeen Ali has enjoyed an upper hand in his battles against Ajinkya Rahane, having dismissed him on seven occasions.

Ali was the first England spinner to dismiss Rahane. The latter played a short delivery straight down mid-on's throat in India's first innings of the Southampton Test of 2014, after having scored 54 runs.

The off-spinner again got the better of Rahane in the very next Test at Manchester. The right-hander offered a tame return catch while going for an off-drive after having scored just a solitary run in the second innings of the encounter.

Ajinkya Rahane was castled by Moeen Ali while playing a cut shot to a sharp-turning off-break in the second innings of the first Test of England's return tour of India. His dismissal for just a solitary run set the cat among the pigeons, but India managed to save the Test match.

The wily spinner dismissed Rahane for the fourth time in the second innings of the fourth Test of India's tour of England in 2018, played at Southampton. India's last hope in that match was trapped in front while trying to play a flick, as they went on to lose the encounter by 60 runs.

Moeen Ali got Ajinkya Rahane's wicket in the second innings of the following Test at the Oval as well. The latter toe-ended a sweep and was caught by Keaton Jennings at mid-wicket after having scored 37 runs.

The new CSK recruit dismissed Rahane in both innings of the second Chennai Test in the ongoing series. In the first innings, the Indian vice-captain was bowled while playing a sweep shot, soon after Rohit Sharma was dismissed post a 162-run partnership between the duo.

In the second essay, Rahane edged a catch to Ollie Pope while dancing down the wicket to play a defensive shot. He managed just 10 runs in that knock.

Ajinkya Rahane has scored 147 runs off Moeen Ali's bowling. He has been dismissed by Ali on seven occasions, thereby averaging a meagre 21.00 against him.

Bowlers dismissing Rahane most times in Tests:10 - Nathan Lyon7 - Moeen Ali*6 - Stuart Broad#INDvsENG

— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) February 15, 2021