IND V AUS 2020: Tim Paine showers praise on Ajinkya Rahane

Australian captain Tim Paine is of the opinion that Ajinkya Rahane was the glue which held the Indian team together when the Men in Blue emerged victorious in the 2018-19 Border Gavaskar Test series. India won the series 2-1 against Australia, thus becoming the only Asian side to win a Test series Down Under.

Tim Paine revealed Ajinkya Rahane is a matter of 'huge focus' for the Australian team management.

"When Kohli leaves, we know the talent they have in their side. Pujara obviously troubled us a lot last time around, so he is a big key for us, but we know the talent they have, we saw Rishabh Pant hitting a very quick hundred in the second practice game so they have got guys who can take away the Test match pretty quickly. Clearly, Rahane held the team together last time; he was the glue last time around, so he is a huge focus for us."

How did Ajinkya Rahane fare last time in Australia?

Ajinkya Rahane is expected to lead India in 3 Tests against Australia.

Tim Paine's comments are a bit surprising, as Ajinkya Rahane didn't have the best of series given his capabilities.

When India won the Border Gavaskar series last time around, the Delhi Capitals batsman played four Tests and accumulated 217 runs at an average of 31. He managed two fifties in seven innings, which included a best of 70 at the Adelaide Oval.

Nevertheless, Ajinkya Rahane can take the game away from the opposition given his counter-attacking style. The onus will be on senior pros like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to do the bulk of the scoring once Virat Kohli returns to India owing to his paternity leave.

Ajinkya Rahane will also be in focus for his captaincy, so it remains to be seen how he would handle that responsibility in the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia.