Will Ajinkya Rahane ever show his limited overs capability?

Come 4^th June India will take on their cross-border rival Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy. As of now, the batting line-up India are likely to pick has an oddity about it – the top six is unlikely to bear any major surprises except for, maybe, Dinesh Karthik, who has made a case for himself with that sparkling show against Bangladesh the other day.

But other than that, you have the Champions Trophy-specialist Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opening, skipper Virat Kohli at No. 3 with old horse Yuvraj Singh (or DK), non-captain batsman MS Dhoni and the new finisher Kedar Jadhav coming down the order.

Where in this ODI setup does Ajinkya Rahane, the ever-reliable batsman in Test cricket, fit in, then?

He cannot really walk up to the management and provide solid reasons as to why he deserves to be included in the XI, can he? Dhawan has shown good form in the warm-up games and in the recently concluded IPL. Rohit, of course, is making his highly awaited return to the national team after almost an eternity. And, the middle-order is as jam-packed as it ever was. The competition is tough.

Had it not been for KL Rahul’s injury, Rahane might not have been named in the squad.

Where does Rahane fit in?

I’ll repeat the question once more here – where does Rahane fit in? Because if he does not fit in, how will we ever get to know whether or not he will show his true potential in the shorter formats of the game?

Rahane has enjoyed an ODI career that is odd enough by its own means. Back in 2015, he could not even make it to the XI that was sent to Bangladesh. A week later, however, he was picked as the captain of the ODI and T20 squad which would tour Zimbabwe.

Dhoni had openly provided a sound explanation just before that mentioning how Rahane had to show more versatility. The former captain even proceeded to point out how Rahane struggled during the middle overs on slower wickets. This only meant one thing – Rahane had to vie for the opener’s spot (as Anil Kumble and Kohli have so often pointed out in recent times). Indeed, he is an opener who has been used as a toy, really, by the Indian team management.

He has been asked to open when Rohit or Dhawan or Rahul were out injured; he has been asked to play in No. 4, 5, 6 and even 7, as and when the management has deemed it necessary. His problems, however, doesn’t limit themselves to his batting positions (or slower pitches for that matter). For whatever reason, the 28-year-old ‘Test specialist’ (that’s how Wikipedia describes him) has been, on more than one occasion, unable to convert his starts.

The ‘Test specialist’?

It is true, Rahane needs his time to settle in, like most other contemporary batsmen (read Rahul, Rohit). Importantly, though, Rahane scores at a quicker rate when facing his first 50 balls than the other contemporary batsmen. However, while the others accelerate after the first 50, Rahane often throws away his wicket or scores at under a run-a-ball.

Indeed, both his teammates and the management have praised him for his hard work and ethics but there must be something in his limited overs career he could boast about? With his numbers, though, there is little room for arguments. Rahane’s average sits under 33 after 73 ODIs while his strike rate hovers just below 80.

It seems as if, though, he is doing all the right things. When watching him in the nets, a keen observer will notice that he barely indulges himself. That steadfast straight bat coming down to answer every single ball – not once does he play a release shot. On the other hand, the other batsmen are out there shimming down the track or scooping the ball over. Net sessions are meant for batsmen to be setting up for game situations and it does seem like Rahane takes it a little too seriously.

But then again, that’s what made him a world-class Test batsman. Not many subcontinent players can boast an average of 47 when playing a majority of those 37 Test matches abroad. And, when you consider the range of conditions Rahane has encountered – from the pacy and bouncy Wanderers to the outlandish swing and movement in New Zealand and the on to the hostile summers in Australia and England – the quality of the batsman becomes evident.

Ajinkya Rahane has shown that he can step up when required

The World Cup was the big stage where Rahane needed to display his skills and he did, didn’t he? Remember that 60-ball 79 against South Africa? However, the big stumbling block is that he is a specialist opener in limited overs cricket learning the tricks of the trade to bat down the order. In the IPL, as well, Rahane has found profound success as an opener, hasn’t he?

While opening, of course, he has the time to ease in and a little more time to catch up. However, when one is whisked in with the task of rebuilding the innings or capitalising on a good start, there is not so much time.

The solution is obvious, isn’t it? Use Rahane as an opener and he will show his true capabilities. But that is not going to happen unless one of Dhawan or Rohit fails to get going.

In recent times, aggression has been India’s watchword. One that is safe, and generally appeases the fans as well as the media. Via that logic, Cheteshwar Pujara was once deemed surplus to the Test team but he found ways to adapt. I don’t see why Rahane won’t be able to do the same in the limited overs setup.