5 reasons why Ajinkya Rahane is presently India's best Test batsman

Test cricket in India has been in the transition phase ever since the retirement of legends like Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. This phase has seen the emergence of new batting stars who are toiling hard to make up for the void left by these stalwarts of the game.While the Kohlis and Dhawans have been grabbing the limelight on most occasions, a young man from Mumbai has gone about his business quietly yet as successfully as any of his peers, perhaps only better.Ajinkya Rahane has been the most consistent batsman for India over the past couple of years scoring runs across continents and conditions. Rahane’s consistency has been undeterred despite being shuffled around in the batting order and a testimony to this is the fact that he has scored a century in every position that he has batted in, be it No. 3 or No. 7.Not to forget the number of occasions on which he has already rescued India from tough situations in a career spanning just 22 Tests.His talent and determination frequently reminds one of the likes of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in their heyday. While getting anywhere near these legends is more than just an uncertainty for Ajinkya Rahane at such an early stage, he is surely India’s best Test batsman at the moment.Here are 5 reasons why:

#1 Excellent Technique

Rahane boasts of a rock solid defence

Rahane has a very strong technique which helps him tackle all types of conditions without much trouble. No wonder he idolises the man who was one of the most technicaly correct batsman to have played the game, Rahul Dravid. The Mumbaikar possesses all the shots in the book and is adept at both attacking cricket as well as defence.

Ajinkya Rahane also does not have any qualms in facing a particular kind of bowling and has been equally effective against pace and spin. Almost all of Rahane’s Test centuries have come on different types of pitches and against oppositions with different bowling strengths.

His solid technique has been one of the major traits that has helped Rahane evolve as a batsman.

#2 Ability to perform under pressure

Ajinkya Rahane’s century at Lord’s came in a pressure situation

If there is one player in the current Indian set-up who handles pressure best, it has to be Ajinkya Rahane. The latest evidence of this fact came during the recently concluded Delhi Test between India and South Africa when he took Team India from more than a spot of bother at 139 for 6 to a commanding 334 on course to his fifth Test century.

Rahane’s 103 on Day 1 of the Lord’s Test against England last year was one of the best knocks under pressure by an Indian batsman in recent times. There have been other similar instances where the batsman has pulled India out of tricky situations and shown great temperament when the pressure is on.

This is one of the primary factors which places Ajinkya Rahane on top of the heap among India’s current Test batsmen.

#3 Proficient in all conditions

Rahane has scored runs in all types of conditions

Ever since his debut at home in 2013, Rahane has played most of his cricket in away conditions. It all started in South Africa where he scored 2 half-centuries including a 96 with wickets tumbling all around him. Next he got his maiden Test ton in New Zealand and followed it up with another one in England.

‘Jinx’, as he is popularly known among teammates, was also one of India’s better batsmen on the tour to Australia scoring a century in Melbourne and an 81 at Brisbane. He missed out on a century in Bangladesh by just 2 runs and rounded off his great run in away Tests by scoring a 126 in the 2nd Test of the series in Sri Lanka.

After his failure to get a decent score in the first 3 Tests of the home series against South Africa, questions were being raised about his inability to do well in home conditions. But Rahane laid all doubts to rest by getting a century in each innings of the final Test at Delhi on what was supposedly a tough pitch for batsmen.

#4 Mixes caution with aggression effectively

Rahane upper cuts one on course to his 147 at the MCG

Ajinkya Rahane’s Test batting can be best described as an ideal blend of caution and aggression. A great example of this was visible during the 2nd century he scored in the 4th Test of the India-South Africa series.

Ending Day 3 at 52 from 158 balls after toiling hard on a difficult pitch, Rahane raced to a hundred off 206 balls before lunch on Day 4 courtesy of some aggressive batting.

Since he is efficient with both attacking and defensive batting, the Mumbai ace can quickly shift gears depending on the situation of the game. The fact that Rahane even has the big hits in his armoury alongside a strong defensive technique makes him one of the more complete Test batsmen in world cricket at the moment.

#5 Belief in his abilities

Ajinkya Rahane has always backed his skills

From whatever we have seen of Ajinkya Rahane so far in his Test career, he is a player who has a tremendous amount of belief in his abilities. This is something the batsman acknowledged himself during the post-match presentation of the Delhi Test when he spoke about him believing in his process as the results will automatically follow.

This shows that Rahane is well aware of his talent and capabilities as a batsman and he displays it in the way that he bats in Tests. It is this self-belief which spurs him on to score runs even in the most trying circumstances.