Mitchell Starc praised the exceptional innings of Ajinkya Rahane during the World Test Championship final held at The Oval in London. Rahane’s impressive knock of 89 was crucial in steering the Indian team away from trouble, enabling them to surpass the follow-on target and reach a total of 296 runs in the first innings.
In the meantime, Rahane garnered praise from fans and former cricketers alike for adapting his approach. Despite India losing key wickets in the first innings, Rahane displayed composure and did not succumb to pressure, taking on the Australian pacers confidently.
Significantly, Rahane endured brutal body blows from the Australian pacers and even sustained a finger injury. However, he displayed remarkable resilience by smashing a six against Pat Cummins to reach his half-century. In response, Australian paceman Starc acknowledged Rahane’s capabilities, stating that they were well aware of his skills, and it required an exceptional catch to dismiss him.
Mitchell Starc praises Ajinkya Rahane
“He played really well. We know Jinks [Ajinkya Rahane] can play innings like that; we’ve seen it through series before. He came in at a tough time to bat and managed to, along with [Shardul] Thakur as well, to absorb some pressure there and build an innings and played really nicely. So, it took a special catch to get him out and certainly that partnership was one that sort of prolonged our bowling innings I guess but I think they both played pretty well,” Starc said.
“Jinx probably was a little bit more you know – waited for the bad ball and built his innings and then built a nice partnership. So, we know what a good player he is and he’s done in the past and hopefully we can get him out early in the second innings,” he added.
In the meantime, Rahane faced exclusion from the Indian team in January of the previous year due to a series of disappointing performances in Test cricket. However, the 35-year-old has since showcased remarkable batting displays in domestic cricket and made valuable contributions to the Chennai Super Kings‘ triumph in the 2023 IPL, helping them secure the title.
