Anybody but Rahane for Dhoni

[Subeshkumar]

rahane is reliable and could be easily be given a chance to lead indian batting line up

[Texan]

Yea perfect strategy is to send a guy who is already struggling in ODIs to send in to open out of position in tests and destroy his career once and for all. :idea:

ohh yaa.... Dravid was very successful in ODIs when he made his Test debut He had played 5 ODIs and was averaging 10 runs :two_thumbs_up: His extra-ordinary ODI form forced the team management to select him in the team What people don't realize is: ODI cricket != Test cricket ODI form != Test form IPL Great Performance != Test Cricket Prospect

[yoda]

ohh yaa.... Dravid was very successful in ODIs when he made his Test debut He had played 5 ODIs and was averaging 10 runs :two_thumbs_up: His extra-ordinary ODI form forced the team management to select him in the team What people don't realize is: ODI cricket != Test cricket ODI form != Test form IPL Great Performance != Test Cricket Prospect

Dude, no one is saying Rahane shouldn't play tests. Issue here is PLAYING OUT OF POSITION.

[bharat297]

This out-of-position argument doesn't make sense. He started his first-class career as an opener and then he moved "down" the order all the way to No.3! The best No.3 batsmen are adept at facing the new ball anyway, because if an early wicket falls they have to come in anyway. Justin Langer handled the "transition" to opener fine. It's not like a No.7 batsman being asked to open.

[Crookbond]

Everyone other than Rahane wants Rahane to open. :cantstop:

[Texan]

Eve of the test match - still no confirmation that Rahane is playing. Dhawan was told well in advance about his debut. I smell something fishy...

[Texan]

Is the wait finally over for Rahane? A debut has eluded the Mumbai batsman despite a prolonged stint in the Test squad, but that could change in the Delhi Test Ajinkya Rahane has been a part of India's Test squads for about 16 months. In the 16 Tests India have played since Rahane was named in India's squad for the home Test series against the West Indies, seven players (R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, R Vinay Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan), including a specialist batsman and a spin-bowling allrounder, have made their debut. Two prolific batsmen (Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman) have retired, two established openers (Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir) have been axed, and two more batsmen (Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay) who returned to the team seem to have made most of their opportunities. Virat Kohli has gone from being a fringe member to being the next in line for the Test captaincy. Amid all this chopping and changing in the XI, there has been one constant: no matter who the openers are and who bats at No. 6, Rahane has been a permanent drinks-fetcher and substitute fielder. Three times during his prolonged period as a Test squad member, Rahane's debut was expected by most of the Indian cricket fraternity. Still, while the Jadejas and Dhawans have been rewarded with a Test cap within a week after being called up, Rahane is still waiting for his chance. With Shikhar Dhawan injuring his fingers on debut last week, Rahane stakes the first claim on the spot vacated, and could also end Mumbai's wait for a Test debutant since Ramesh Powar back in 2007. "I just hope he gets his chance this time around at the Kotla," Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai's Ranji captain, said. "Nobody will doubt the fact that he thoroughly deserves it." For most of these 16 months, Rahane has been shuttling between domestic and international arena as frequently as he used to change local trains during his growing-up years in Mumbai. Yet, he has averaged 48.72 this domestic season. The fact that it's Rahane's lowest average for a season since making his first-class debut in 2007-08 shows his terrific record. Still, that's not been enough for him to break into the eleven. For the first four years, the national selectors ignored him since they were never sure "whether he is a middle-order batsman or opener". Then, after he showed promise during his limited opportunities in the limited-overs leg of the England tour in 2011, the selection panel chaired by K Srikkanth told him to be prepared to bat "anywhere between No. 1 and 6". And then, once Srikkanth passed on the baton to Sandeep Patil, the selectors decided - in consultation with Rahane, hopefully - that Rahane was best suited to bat in the middle order. As a result, though he opened Mumbai's innings in the 2011-12, the Mumbai team management was asked to utilise him at No. 3 this season. Former India batsman Praveen Amre, during whose five-year association with the Mumbai Ranji team Rahane burst on to the first-class scene, feels Rahane is unnecessarily criticised for shuffling his batting position. "During my stint [as the Mumbai coach], we used him as an opener as well as at No. 3," Amre said. "And he proved us right all the time. He is one of the few batsmen who can adapt to batting at the top of the order and in the middle order." Agarkar also feels that Rahane's strength of being flexible about his batting position doesn't get due credit. "To be honest, it doesn't matter whether he opens the innings or bats in the middle order," Agarkar said. "Wherever he bats, he always scores runs, which seals the deal for him." Despite waiting in the wings for well over a year, none of the Mumbai team members have seen him flustered during this period. The reason, according to Dhawal Kulkarni, his usual room-mate while playing for Mumbai, is "his focus". "He keeps things really simple," Kulkarni said. "He knows very well that he has to be patient till his chance comes and make sure he keeps on doing what he does the best and loves the most - to keep on scoring consistently. And it works for him." Rahane averages an astonishing 62.04 after 100 first-class innings. So what sets him apart from the rest? "Not too many youngsters around are as hardworking as him. It reflects in everything he does on the field," Agarkar said. While his approach has helped him through the wait for the Test cap, his perseverance hasn't paid off with everything that he has done. "During the Emerging Players tournament in Australia [in 2009], we used to cook for each other. And invariably every time he used to goof it up," Kulkarni recalled. No doubt Kulkarni will be the first one to be ready to cook a dinner for his friend if he finally gets the Test cap at the Kotla on Friday.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/content/story/625982.html

[Number]

Bump. To think likes of Yuvraj then even Raina were given free run ahead of him in the test team.

[nevada]

Maybe he would have got a chance sooner if Tendulkar didn't hang around for so long.

[CSK Fan]

Maybe he would have got a chance sooner if Tendulkar didn't hang around for so long.

Rohit replaced Sachin, not Rahane. Rahane had to wait till Raina/UV vacated a space

[Old guy]

Rohit replaced Sachin' date=' not Rahane. Rahane had to wait till Raina/UV vacated a space[/quote'] then how come rohit debut in sachin's last series and rahane got into team after sachin ? :hmmm:

[velu]

Rohit replaced Sachin' date=' not Rahane. Rahane had to wait till Raina/UV vacated a space[/quote'] thats an unplayable yorker to MTC :giggle:

[adi B]

How? Finn exposed his technique pretty much. He is as poor as Vijay on front foot. He has never looked solid whenever I have seen him. He is also very limited batsman in terms of range of shots' date=' very much like Vijay. Both are poor choices for opening slot though I wont mind him given a few chances instead of Vijay.[/quote'] Mashallah fool baras rahe hai

[Lord]

then how come rohit debut in sachin's last series and rahane got into team after sachin ? :hmmm:

Rahane played in Delhi Test first

[Old guy]

Rahane played in Delhi Test first

yes after long wait..same with rohit you cannot argue their place was not being blocked ...if dravid did what sachin did or laxman did it no one would have got place

[Lord]

yes after long wait..same with rohit you cannot argue their place was not being blocked ...if dravid did what sachin did or laxman did it no one would have got place

but MTC is technically right:--D

[Number]

yes after long wait..same with rohit you cannot argue their place was not being blocked ...if dravid did what sachin did or laxman did it no one would have got place

Laxman retired after getting selected for NZ series. Raina did nothing in FC or tests around that time. Still played ahead of Rahane. When Raina was dropped after failing in NZ series, Yuvraj came in. When Yuvraj failed and dropped , Jadeja and Chawla came in. Regarding Sachin and Dravid. Dravid's form was poor since 2008 barring one good series in England.

[Old guy]

but MTC is technically right:--D

how ? technically rahane only got prolonged chance and not got dropped after single failure when sachin retired ..btw rahane is not even lower order batsman and had to bat at 6

[Old guy]

Laxman retired after getting selected for NZ series. Raina did nothing in FC or tests around that time. Still played ahead of Rahane. When Raina was dropped after failing in NZ series, Yuvraj came in. When Yuvraj failed and dropped , Jadeja and Chawla came in. Regarding Sachin and Dravid. Dravid's form was poor since 2008 barring one good series in England.

dravid was in form that year scored against west indies..scored against england and scored at home and only failed vs australia also when you select team mistakes happen but you cannot say i wont retire because they will select wrong guy...that only made situation worse

[Lord]

how ? technically rahane only got prolonged chance and not got dropped after single failure when sachin retired ..btw rahane is not even lower order batsman and had to bat at 6

arrey but Rahane did play with Sachin and would have continued to play even if Sachin didnt retire that series.Whereas Rohit was included only because Sachin was retiring and we needed a replacement.