Five positives for India from the Indore Test Match

#2 Ajinkya Rahane: Mr. Dependable of the Indian Team

Ajinkya Rahane scored a fighting 188 in the first innings (Image Credit: Bcci.tv)

Ajinkya Rahane finished as the second top run scorer in this series with 347 runs. The Mumbai batsman has continued his progress in establishing himself as the mainstay of the Indian middle order. ‘Jinks’, as his teammates call him, has gone from strength to strength ever since his failed Test debut. He has scored runs all around the world for India and has shown his capability to adapt to conditions without much of a fuss.

And he scored a wonderful 188 against the Kiwis in the first innings as he, along with his captain, helped India set up a huge total in the first innings. It was an innings of true grit and resolve as he struggled against a barrage of short pitched bowling by the Kiwi pacers. He took some beating, he ducked under a few, he mishit plenty but he did not give up.

It was everything that you expect of a middle-order batsman as he upped the tempo as India edged towards declaration and in the process lost his wicket 12 runs short of a first double ton. That just emphasizes his true team-man quality as he put the team’s needs ahead of personal glory.

Surely, he is the Mr. Dependable of this Indian batting line-up.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin is a true champion

Man of the Match R Ashwin claimed 13 wickets in the third Test (Image Credit: Bcci.tv)

One cannot find the superlatives to describe Ravichandran Ashwin’s contribution in helping India to the summit of the ICC Test Team Rankings. He has been at the centre of the chain of impressive performances by India and along with Ravindra Jadeja, has troubled opponent batsmen to a great extent.

He continued his wonderful form as India cleaned up the Kiwis in the third Test with a day to spare. He terrorized the Black Caps’ batsmen throughout, picking 6 wickets in the first innings. He topped his first innings performance with a career-best 7 for 59 in the second innings as India ran out clear winners.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, one of the best batsmen of current times, continued to struggle against the guile of Ashwin. The 30-year-old off spinner made Williamson his bunny as he dismissed the Kiwi batsman in all of the four innings that he played.

He finished the series with 27 wickets at an impressive strike rate of 32.5 with three five-wicket hauls. No wonder he was adjudged the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series. This was Ashwin’s 7^th Man of the Series award in 39 Tests and he has continued to show that he is a champion performer for India.