5 things that showed Ajinkya Rahane can be a great bet as a captain

#3 Field placements

Rahane kept two-three fielders in catching positions throughout the match (Image credits: BCCI)

Throughout the Test match in Dharamsala, one thing that stood out was Rahane’s field settings. Whether it was when David Warner and Steve Smith were clobbering the bowlers or when Matthew Wade was desperately trying to delay the inevitable, the field was set as the bowler wanted it to be (even when Kuldeep was bowling).

Giving the bowler the field he wants shows that the captain has confidence in him. The bowler might go for a few runs but it is important to back the bowler and egg him on to bowl wicket-taking deliveries. And that’s what Rahane did so well throughout the match.

Another interesting observation is that while Rahane is as calm and composed as it gets, the aggression could be seen in the field settings. Even when Australia were off to a flying start in the first session of Day One, there were at least two-three fielders in catching positions.

At the same time, though, the flow of runs was controlled. The singles were being saved, and there were even a few raiders on the boundary line. Rahane looked like he was always in control.