Since then, 20 more players have debuted for India, with Shikhar Dhawan being the latest. Of those 20, Ajinkya Rahane, who has been on the sidelines for 16 straight Tests, has seen seven leapfrog him.
But there is a strong possibility that the Mumbai lad could wear the cap that reads India 278 when they face Australia on Friday.
Few can grudge Rahane his moment of glory if and when it arrives as he has been a prolific performer in domestic cricket. In 60 first-class games, Rahane has scored 5460 runs at a stunning average of 62.04 with 19 hundreds and 22 fifties.
Former India skipper Rahul Dravid, who captains Rahane at the Rajasthan Royals, feels the time is ripe to give him a break and that too as opener.
One of the reasons for Rahane's delayed debut is the confusion amongst the selectors about where to play him. Chief selector Sandeep Patil had said that they had picked him as a middle-order player. However, Rahane has batted for Mumbai as opener and has also excelled at No. 3.
Former India opener and Rahane's Mumbai colleague, Wasim Jaffer, felt that it would have been hard for Rahane to not feel edgy after spending so much time on the bench.
"Although, he's most comfortable at No. 3, his best chance to break in is as an opener," Jaffer felt.
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