Kagiso Rabada didn’t play any worldwide sport after South Africa’s heartbreaking semi-final exit within the ODI World Cup final month. He hasn’t even skilled a lot amid damage considerations which just about dominated him out of the Test collection in opposition to India, not to mention the opener in Centurion. But the South African speedster had a dream day on the SuperSport Park on Tuesday, the place he bounced out India captain Rohit Sharma and outsmarted Virat Kohli with an unplayable ball earlier than finishing his five-wicket haul. And as Rabada utterly rocked the Indian batting line-up with two of essentially the most intimidating and incisive spells bowled in current instances, with India left struggling at 176 for 7 at tea on Day 1, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar rued the absence of Ajinkya Rahane. (India vs South Africa Live Score 1st Test Day 1)
Sunil Gavaskar feels India missed Ajinkya Rahane in India vs South Africa 1st Test
Rahane was dropped in early 2022 after a string of poor scores in Test cricket together with Cheteshwar Pujara with India hinting that they need to transfer previous the 2 senior batters. While Pujara later scripted a comeback that very same 12 months with a stellar efficiency in County cricket, Rahane spent the following 12 months within the wilderness, with solely the avid followers of the sport understanding his whereabouts. In 2023, the 35-year-old made a exceptional comeback for Chennai Super Kings within the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he pressured his manner again into the Test aspect after Shreyas Iyer was unavailable for choice owing to an damage. Rahane was picked for the WTC ultimate, the place he scored a preventing fifty, albeit in a shedding trigger and was then named because the vice-captain for the tour of West Indies earlier than being dropped but once more for the South Africa contest.
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With India struggling in opposition to the South African tempo assault on Tuesday, the place Rabada picked up a fi-fer whereas debutant Nandre Burger struck twice with the brand new ball to take away Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill within the opening half-hour, Gavaskar, on air, reckoned that India’s rating within the Centurion Test may have been totally different had they picked Rahane for the match.
The legendary batter recalled the Johannesburg Test match from the 2018/19 collection the place Rahane, dropped from the opening two video games, had scored a valiant 48 on a demonic observe within the ultimate tie of the competition to assist India safe a 63-run win.
“People have been talking about the pitch in Johannesburg Test five years back and I was there. Yeah it wasn’t the easiest of pitches to bat on the odd ball was climbing up. And Ajinkya Rahane, who had not been picked for the first two Test matches, was picked for that game and he showed what the Indian team had missed because earlier on in the first couple of Test matches India did not lose by big margins. So maybe somebody with Rahane’s experience overseas… because Rahane overseas has been such a fine, fine player and maybe if he had been there today the story could have been completely different,” Gavaskar stated on commentary on Star Sports.
India, nevertheless, huffed and puffed their well past the 200-run mark within the ultimate session on Day 1, courtesy of KL Rahul’s beautiful half-century whereas batting at No.6 for under the second time in his profession and first time in eight years.
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Source: www.hindustantimes.com
