The Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is not going to be a part of the Indian playing XI for the second test match against New Zealand and the BCCI has released a statement that he is actually injured and not dropped as was expected.
Ajinkya Rahane had stood in as captain of India in the Kanpur test match in Virat Kohli’s absence, but his poor form with the bat continued and it was on expected lines that he would have to make way for Kohli going into the Mumbai test match.
However, earlier today, it was stated by BCCI in an official press release that three of the Indian players are struggling with injuries and Rahane is one of them as he had a muscle strain on the 5th day of the Kanpur test match.
It’s a slightly surprising statement, given the fact that nobody from the Indian camp talked about Rahane’s injury in the last couple of days, not even the captain Virat Kohli when he addressed the pre-match press conference yesterday. Rahane was actually a part of the training session that the Indian team attended yesterday.
A lot of the Indian fans didn’t seem satisfied with the reason BCCI presented for the exclusion of Rahane as they thought his exclusion is mostly down to his form with the bat and not actually down to the muscle strain which was mentioned in BCCI’s statement.
Ajinkya Rahane would probably not have been dropped if KS Bharat had played instead of Wriddhiman Saha
There were speculations if Wriddhiman Saha had not got rid of his stiff neck and India had to play his understudy KS Bharat, who is capable of opening the innings, India might then have dropped Mayank Agarwal and had opened the batting with Bharat and Shubman Gill, which would have allowed Virat Kohli to return to the Indian XI without Ajinkya Rahane getting dropped.
But, with Saha getting fit, India needed two specialist opening batsmen at the top of the order and with Rahane being the only player in the middle order who is horribly out of form, the Indian team management eventually had to leave him out, although the official reason given was a muscle strain.
There have not been too many cases in test match history where a player captaining the team in one test match loses his spot in the playing XI immediately in the next test. Here is how Twitter reacted as Rahane lost his spot in the Indian test XI for the Mumbai test –
Rahane is injured and earth is flat.
Advertisement— Nirav (@nirav_lalan) December 3, 2021
AdvertisementRahane : – I am not injured
Virat Kohli and BCCI : pic.twitter.com/7MKfHOJcW0
— S ∆ C H I |🇮🇳 (@fadesachi06) December 3, 2021
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Rahane introvert hai isiliye bol nahi paaya injured hai.
— Alone Musk (Rohit) (@rohshah07) December 3, 2021
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This morning Rahane found out he’s injured.
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) December 3, 2021
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Slipped in Rahane in injury prone list as if we won't notice! https://t.co/SROJCh0zp7
— Gagan Chawla (@toecrushrzzz) December 3, 2021
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@BCCI @SGanguly99 till yesterday there was no talk about Rahane’s injury. Team management should show the guts to say that if not performing well, then out from team.
That will be the message left for others— Safas (@786safas) December 3, 2021
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India players don't get dropped anymore; they just get injured.
— Alagappan Vijayakumar (@IndianMourinho) December 3, 2021
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Even VVS saying Rahane isn't dropped for injury reasons . Lmao
— ` (@FourOverthrows) December 3, 2021
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Seems like only Ishant is really Injured
Rest 2 are tactical injuries ☠️ https://t.co/seUDTHJrIR— Harshad 🇮🇳 (@HBJ3221) December 3, 2021
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Lie of the day:
Ajinkya Rahane is injured!
AdvertisementWhy can’t they just say he has been DROPPED to make way for skipper Kohli?#IndvsNZ #testcricket
— Venkat Parthasarathy (@Venkrek) December 3, 2021
