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India vs South Africa: Ajinkya Rahane changes game to become game changer

Rahane took no time to settle and immediately went on the aggressive, never once looking rushed.

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Ajinkya Rahane took very little time to get his eye in, and scored at a very brisk pace in the middle. (Source: Reuters)

When Ajinkya Rahane stepped on to the pitch on Sunday after Virat Kohli’s untimely departure, there was a certain trepidation in the fans. Onlookers were worried about how the Indian middle-order would cope with a star-studded South African bowling attack. (Full Coverage| Points table| Fixtures)

Kohli’s wicket came at a crucial time as the Indian vice-captain was nearing his half century just as Shikhar Dhawan was approaching his ton. Expectations were that India would opt to take the batting powerplay just as the two reached their respective milestones.

Scorecard: India vs South Africa

So when Rahane came in to replace Kohli, he was paired with Dhawan who was slowing down a little as his century neared, and the burden of upping the scoring rate fell to the new man on the crease.

Rahane has made a reputation for being one of the most technically sound batsman in the Indian team, but he has never been known for his ability to take bowlers on from the get go.

With the foundation that Dhawan and Kohli had given him, Rahane took no time to settle and immediately went on the aggressive, never once looking rushed. His signature class was still on display as we saw another side of the otherwise composed Mumbaikar.

The transformed Rahane started scoring at a rate of knots as he put up a 79 off just 60 deliveries. His strike-rate of 131 was a stark departure from his usual scoring rate of 78. Not to be outdone by Dhawan’s fine shotmaking, Rahane also put up seven elegant fours and three massive sixes. It seems then, that India has found an unlikely aggressor in an otherwise calm source and it couldn’t have come at a better time, with the World Cup campaign starting to pick up steam.

By Rishab Darbari