3 Things we learnt from day 1 at Adelaide

#2 Rahane’s dismissal highlights a persistent weakness

Rahane again poked at a delivery outside off to get dismissed

Ajinkya Rahane, the vice-captain of the team again had a day to forget. Coming in to bat at 19-3, much was expected from the Mumbaikar. Yet, he fell to Hazlewood. However, more than his not performing, it is his pattern of dismissals that form a major part of a worrying narrative.

In England, Rahane faced problems against the likes of Stokes when the Englishman got the ball to bounce outside off. Rahane has a tendency to hang his bat outside the off stump and the same was exploited mercilessly in England.

However, many thought that time out of the game would help him iron out those flaws. Yet, come Adelaide, it was a case of ‘same old’ for Rahane. Facing Cummins and Hazlewood, Rahane never looked comfortable with the pair's ability to extract bounce and movement ruffling his feathers.

Years ago, Steven Finn had troubled Rahane similarly but his sustained performances in international cricket led one to believe that he had overcome those demons. However, those demons have resurfaced again and now Rahane faces an acid test in an attempt to eradicate those.

The form of India’s vice-captain is crucial for the success of the team. However, the world now knows that the vice-captain comes with an obvious weakness.

Thus, it is time for Rahane to come up with a solution and help solve a puzzle that keeps on resurfacing with alarming frequency.