As India witnessed their dismal show with the bat against New Zealand, fans and cricket analysts have been talking about Ajinkya Rahane. India was dismissed for 46 on the second day of the first Test match, which was the Indian team’s lowest ever total on home soil. On the flip side, Rahane could only post a video of him practising on Instagram, and the caption read: ‘Ready to strike!’ This post quickly went viral, with many speculating about its timing and intent.
Cricket fans saw it as a swipe at the BCCI, where he is seeking another opportunity to play for the Indian team. Many wrote their comments on social media, stating that Rahane should be brought back in for the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia alongside Cheteshwar Pujara. One fan said, “Bro knows the timing to post,” while the other thought it must be a sign that Rahane is ready to play for India again. Many even mentioned the timing of the post and said that “Bro is trolling BCCI for dropping him”.
Rahane’s post came at a time when the Indian team was struggling to score in the Bengaluru test. Five Indian batsmen, which include Virat Kohli and KL Rahul among others, were dismissed for ducks, which spurred criticism about the batting line-up. While New Zealand’s bowlers were doing the damage on the field, Rahane was active on social media, using his prowess as evidence.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma also blamed himself for his decision to bowl first after winning the toss, saying he erred on the nature of the pitch. While there are a lot of debates about the team selection, Rahane’s Instagram clip has again sparked the debate about his place in the Indian national cricket team.
