Numbers are good for TV but Ajinkya Rahane is a matchwinner: Kiran More defends the vice-captain

Kiran More came to the defense of India's vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane after his dismal outing (1 and 0 in two innings) against England in the first Test. The former Indian wicketkeeper called Rahane a 'matchwinner' and said there shouldn't be any questions about his place in the side.

Since the euphoria of his spellbinding century in Melbourne, Ajinkya Rahane has plummeted to become India's lowest-scoring batsman in Chennai.

Down Under, voices to elevate him to the helm of India's Test side were only growing louder. But one month on, he is being questioned for his worth as a batsman. There's a good reason for this criticism too. After all, the vice-captain has averaged just 32.33 in the last 20 home Tests.

However, in an exclusive chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Live, Kiran More said such stats are only good for television discussion.

"It's very difficult. When the ball is reverse swinging your feet movement and all those things don't come out in a synchronized way. Once you have spent 30-40 minutes on the pitch then you know, that's what Virat Kohli did. But Virat Kohli was settled by the time Anderson came in. Numbers are always good to discuss on TV but I talk about matchwinners.

"Ajinkya Rahane, for me, is a matchwinner. He was at a turning point in Australia getting that hundred. He's a tough character. Don't underestimate Rahane, his performance and his leadership quality. He is a man of integrity (and that showed in) the way he led the team. I will play Rahane blindly, I will back him. There's no question mark about him," said Kiran More.

Ajinkya Rahane against Aus + SA + Eng + NZ since Nov 2016Tests - 27Inns - 49Runs - 1368Avg - 29.73💯 - 250 - 6People want him captain of india despite averaging 29 against top teams from 5 years

— JSK (@imjsk27) February 9, 2021

Ajinkya Rahane played only 5 balls in the first innings before getting out to a sublime catch by Joe Root. In the second dig, he missed a reverse-swinging snorter from James Anderson which uprooted his off-stump.

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Virat Kohli defends Ajinkya Rahane after the first Test

Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli rallied behind his deputy when asked about Rahane post-match. Kohli said:

"Look if you are trying to dig something out, you are not going to get anything because there is nothing. If you are talking about the MCG Test, he (Ajinkya Rahane) scored a hundred when the team wanted him the most. Today's innings you can put that aside.

"But in the first innings, he was looking to score a boundary. It was a brilliant catch by Joe that got rid of him. So if that goes for the boundary, he gets runs in the first innings and we are not having this conversation. Ajinkya, along with Pujara, is our most important Test batsman and he will continue to be. We believe in his abilities. He is an impactful player."

The second Test between India and England will kickstart on February 13th in Chennai.