Ajinkya Rahane Issues Advisory For Gautam Gambhir, Points Flaws In Indian Test Team

Ajinkya Rahane issues advisory for Gautam Gambhir [Source: AFP]

Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. He was one of the last remaining players from the last generation who had not hung up his boots, especially from the dominant Test team of the 2010s.

Having played his last Test in 2023, Ajinkya Rahane often spoke about being blindsided by the team management when he was dropped, noting the lack of communication.

Similar reports often circulate about Gautam Gambhir’s style of management, especially for the seniors, ever since the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired over the past couple of years.

Ajinkya Rahane issues advice for Gautam Gambhir

Ajinkya Rahane played his last match under Rahul Dravid’s coaching and was never even called up during the Gautam Gambhir era. Nonetheless, in recent months, the conversations around Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been unsettling for fans.

Speaking on the matter, Rahane addressed the need for seniors in the team. Especially in Tests, India has struggled since Gambhir was made in charge, and Rahane has shared his insights on what needs to change in the team.

“Test cricket fans are actual cricket lovers. What we built apart from the last two years, when new players came in Test cricket, I still feel Test cricket needs 7-8 senior players and 2-3 younger players. What we are seeing now is that all the players are actually new. There’s hardly any senior cricketer left. So Test cricket needs that,” he said on the Stick to Cricket Podcast.

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Is Gautam Gambhir mistreating senior players?

In the past, there have been cases of outgoing players complaining about the lack of communication from the coaches and selectors. This includes the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Murali Vijay before this new management came in.

Something similar has been observed with Gambhir, who openly speaks about ending star culture. Ashwin and Kohli have hinted that they have felt the need to prove their worth, despite years of experience. This has probably led to their Test retirements, and Rahane has voiced concerns over it.

“Because what I have seen in the last 2-3 years, you need to keep and respect the senior players, especially because with the Indian team, all the senior players going out together at once, that’s been the issue,” he said on the same podcast.

Furthermore, Rahane spoke about the potential threats for Test cricket, saying it is tough for the format to survive with only a few top-quality sides.

"Frankly, yes I do (fear for Test cricket). Because the way it is going, we all want Test cricket to survive, to be there – India, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. These 4-5 teams especially."

Was Ajinkya Rahane treated unfairly by BCCI?

In the past couple of years, Rahane has openly spoken about his wish to return to India's Test team. He has also felt the need for someone like him in the batting lineup.

On his return to Test cricket in 2023, he scored crucial 46 and 89 in the World Test Championship Final. However, he only batted twice for the Test team after that.

While that would look unfair in isolation, it is worth noting that before the WTC, he had been out of the team for around 18 months and the team had moved on from him due to lack of consistency. So, the communication gap could be a reason to feel unfairly treated, but considering performances, the team rightfully moved on from him.

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