Ajinkya Rahane's Last 10 Test Innings: India vice-captain fails to make an impression in Caribbean

Update on Ajinkya Rahane Last 20 Test innings: 5, DNB, 1, 61, 18, 10, 14, 0, 35, 4, 48, 20, 0, 58, 9, 1, 89, 46, 3, 8 (Till 1st innings of 2nd Test vs West Indies in 2023)

Ajinkya Rahane Runs in Last 20 Test Innings: 430

Ajinkya Rahane's Average in Last 20 Test Innings - 22.63

Senior India batter Ajinkya Rahane was once again named the vice-captain of the Indian Test side for the tour of West Indies after his knocks of 89 and 46 in the World Test Championships Final against Australia at the Oval.

The right-handed middle-order batter - who received an India call-up for the WTC final in the absence of Shreyas Iyer - justified his selection into the Test side by emerging as the leading run-getter in the WTC final which Rohit Sharma-led side lost.

But fast forward to July 20, the right-handed batsman from Mumbai is once again finding himself under scrutiny on social media for his batting performance against West Indies.

Rahane scored a paltry 3 runs in the first innings, the lone innings India batted, of the Dominica Test against West Indies. It was a challenging wicket to bat on. Indians, however, won the game and nothing much was said about Rahane's batting in that game.

However, his performance in the first innings of the second Test match, which is being played at Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, will invite sharp criticism for Rohit's deputy as he never looked in his elements in the entire innings.

During his 36-ball stay into the middle and his small partnership of 27 runs for the fourth wicket with Virat Kohli, Rahane never looked comfortable. He did hit a boundary in his knock of 8 runs but he never looked in control. Eventually, he was played on while dragging his bat against pacer Shannon Gabriel.

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In the first innings, Rahane was dismissed by English off-spinner Dom Bess for 1, courtesy a stupendous catch by captain Joe Root at the cover. He failed to even get off the mark in the second innings after facing just 3 deliveries in his short stay at the crease. Having been pushed on the back foot on the previous delivery when he escaped a leg before dismissal, Rahane was clean bowled by a superb reverse swinging delivery from England's star pacer James Anderson.

Rahane failed to read the line of the ball which reverse swung right enough to disturb his off-stumps. Rahane thus made his descent towards the pavilion as the hosts lost two wickets in a gap of three deliveries.

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The 32-year-old was outfoxed by a peach of a delivery from one of the best pacers the game has ever seen. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar was amongst those who were not pleased with Rahane's batting effort who failed to play a big knock ever since his iconic century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the Boxing Day Test against Australia.

Following his century at the MCG Rahane has had scores of 27*, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1 & 0 in the next seven innings and that is what made Manjrekar criticise the Mumbaikar.

Manjrekar tweeted, "My issue with Rahane the captain is Rahane the batsman. After that 100 in Melbourne his scores are - 27*, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1 & 0. After a 100, class players carry their form & carry the burden of players out of form."

My issue with Rahane the captain is Rahane the batsman.
After that 100 in Melbourne his scores are - 27*, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1 & 0. After a 100, class players carry their form & carry the burden of players out of form. #INDvENG

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) February 9, 2021

Rahane's last century at against Australia in Melbourne when he scored 112 back in October 2019. He went on to score two consecutive fifties in the next two games at home but hasn't managed to slam a ton.

Since November 2016, Rahane has played 41 Tests (63 innings) and scored 2263 runs at an average of 35.35 and slammed 4 centuries and 13 half-centuries. Such numbers definitely do no justice with the kind of player Rahane is but he has to raise the bar of his game in the upcoming games.