Is it time for Ajinkya Rahane to move to a higher level?

Ajinkya Rahane has been superb for India in the last two years

When the golden generation of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag slowly started to fade away into the sunset, there was a constant fear among many an Indian fan as to whether we can see any club of cricketers, who would not just delight spectators with their style of play, but also men of integrity and honesty and those, who would command respect all over the globe.

As the careers of each of those players began to come to an end, another group of players in the form of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara etc started to emerge slowly yet steadily through the ranks and fill the respective slots in the line-up.

However, there was one more cricketer in the same age group as the above-mentioned players, who continued to pile on the runs in domestic cricket but found himself seated on the bench.

It took Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane a total of 6 years since making his debut for Mumbai to wear the whites for India against Australia in 2013. More startlingly, Rahane averaged a staggering 68 in Ranji Trophy cricket and yet saw the likes of Suresh Raina and few others get selected ahead of him in playing XI.

When he made his debut, it was the worst possible one that anyone could imagine. A 7 and 1 on a gyrating tuner at the Ferozshah Kotla meant that the hype over his non-selection had precipitated in thin air, as fast as the debut did and he was back to taking drinks for his teammates in the middle.

The rebirth of Rahane – 9 months later

India embarked on a tour of South Africa in December 2013 for a two-Test and three-ODI series and after a 2-0 loss in the ODIs, the team had a stiff challenge on its hands in the longer format.

This is where the world witnessed the real Rahane, particularly in the second Test at Durban, when he played a superb knock of 96 albeit in a losing cause and displayed his real potential to the cricketing fraternity. Few knew then it was going to be a start of a wonderful run of overseas scores for the Indian.

A maiden Test hundred in windy conditions followed in Wellington. A superb ton on a green-top at the Home of Cricket helped India win a famous Test. A blazing 147 at Melbourne that made every fan stand up and applaud. A terrific 128 on a dicey pitch while batting at Number 3 at the P Sara Oval against Sri Lanka. Rahane’s career has already seen some chequered moments.

On Sunday, he added yet another feather to his cap, when he became only the 5th Indian to score a century in each innings, against South Africa in New Delhi. Both hundreds were distinctly different to one another- The first essay saw him rescue India from a precarious position to a position of safety while in the second he started off as an ideal foil for his skipper before taking charge of the innings.

Time for higher responsibility?

Along with making significant contributions with the bat, Rahane has also been exceptional in the slips, latching on to every chance that has come his way, particularly off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin.

He has adjusted himself to every situation in Tests and almost succeeded every time like how he was asked to bat at Number 3 in Sri Lanka and he responded with a hundred in the second Test.

Whatever the conditions and situation, Rahane has come out on top in almost all cases

The Mumbaikar has been the ideal team man in every aspect and its time that he is given a bigger role within the setup. There are quite a few similarities to this team and the one that took India to many a famous win between 2000 and 2005.

Like then, India are being led by a flamboyant leader now, who seems to not fear any opponent regardless of stature. Like then, the most dependable batsman in this unit is a man who keeps a low profile but is mighty effective when he enters the ground.

Ganguly is often applauded for the way he marshalled his resources and skippered India to several commendable performances. But in Dravid, he had a deputy who provided him with the calmness and the assurance that there was someone who could bail the team out, whatever the situation, whatever the conditions.

Just like then, Kohli needs someone as a backup who will let him relax in peace when he isn't around for whatever reasons. That man could be Rahane. He led India in coloured clothing earlier this year in Zimbabwe and led the side to a win and then led them in the T20 series as well where the two-match rubber finished on a stalemate.

There is a line-of-thought that he doesn't have a lot of leadership experience, but I have no doubt that if made vice-captain in the longer format, he can pick up a few tricks and put them to good use when a chance comes his way, along with employing his own style.

Few would argue that Rahane has been India’s best player along with Vijay across all conditions in the last 2 years and its time now he is given a more vital role within the setup.