The curious case of Ajinkya Rahane!

CHANDIGARH: Manoj Tiwary and Ajinkya Rahane are two batsmen of different styles. While, Rahane is solid, technically correct and what one calls Test-match type of batsman, Tiwary is the adventurous one, who has all the shots in his repertoire to put the opposition to sword.

Then if one has to apply logic, Rahane should be in the Test playing XI by now, especially with a first-class average of 62.04 and keeping in mind that the likes of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid have retired. Whereas, Tiwary should be a permanent fixture in the one-day playing XI. But that isn't the case.

The two (Rahane and Tiwary) have one thing in common. Both are being made to warm the benches - one in the Test arena, the other in one-dayers - for the past year or so. Let's take the case of Ajinkya Rahane.

As mentioned, a batsman with a first-class average of more than 62 and one who has 19 centuries to his credit, Rahane has been warming the benches for the last three home Test series, without getting a chance to make his debut.

First, when picked for the Test series against New Zealand, he was expected to fit into the middle-order after VVS Laxman had announced his retirement.

However, Suresh Raina leapfrogged ahead of Rahane and played the two Test matches in Hyderabad and Bangalore. After, three failures in the three innings he played, Raina was dropped, and in came Yuvraj Singh for the series against England.

Still no Rahane in the playing XI. Yuvraj got his chance and scored a 74 in India's winning effort at Ahmedabad, but then failed miserably in Mumbai and Kolkata. Yuvraj was dropped.

A game of musical chairs was being played and Ravindra Jadeja got a look-in for the final Test in Nagpur. He straight away played in the final XI. Still no sign of Ajinkya Rahane. The selectors at that time had demarcated him for the openers' role.

Australia comes. Gautam Gambhir gets dropped from the side on account of poor form. The team management decides to partner Virender Sehwag with Murali Vijay. No Rahane. Vijay plays the first two Tests and scores a magnificent 167 in Hyderabad to cement his place in the top-order.

But an out-of-form Sehwag is dropped from the squad itself for the next two Test matches in Mohali and Delhi. In comes Shikhar Dhawan to partner Vijay at the top. Rahane still in the squad, but not in the playing XI. Selectors say that Rahane has been picked for the middle-order!

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Shweta Pandey

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