
India vs Australia: ‘At least they’ve got a very good replacement captain,’ Ian Chappell calls India’s stand-in skipper ‘positive, aggressive’
Without Virat Kohli, the Indian team is believed to be left with a big void in the second, third and fourth Tests against Australia, but former captain and renowned commentator and columnist Ian Chappell reckons India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane possesses the leadership skills required to lead the team in Kohli’s absence. Rahane, India’s vice-captain in Tests, is expected to lead the team once Kohli returns for the birth of his first child, and based on what he’s seen of the 32-year-old’s captaincy, Chappell feels Rahane is a wonderful replacement for Kohli.
Also Read | ‘No one can fill Dhoni’s place,’ Rahul opens up on his wicketkeeper’s role
“As far as captaincy is concerned, I saw Ajinkya Rahane captain in one Test match against Australia when Australia were in India a few years back and it was the deciding Test match. And I was very, very impressed with Rahane’s captaincy,” he said while speaking to Michael Holding on the West Indies great’s YouTube channel.
“I thought he was very positive, very aggressive. When the game was in the balance, he always took the aggressive option and he batted well at a time when India were probably going to win anyhow but things had got a little bit shaky. And he came in and took on Pat Cummins and took them home to victory.”
Also Read | Both teams to pay 63-second tribute to Phil Hughes on his 6th death anniversary
Rahane has in the past filled in for Kohli. During the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy an injured shoulder ruled Kohli out of the final Test in Dharamsala. With the series tied at 1-1, Rahane, captaining India for the first time in Tests, led the team to an eight-wicket win, allowing India to clinch the four-Test series 2-1.
“At least, they have got a very good replacement captain. And the other thing is if Australia, I don’t think they will do this, if Australia thinks that ‘Kohli is gone home and all we have to do is turn up’, if they think like that, it will be a big mistake. I don’t think they will be complacent,” Chappell added.
Also Read | ‘Don’t think he is unknown anymore,’ KL Rahul reveals Team India have a plan set for young Australia batsman
Plenty has been spoken of Kohli and how his unavailability will put pressure on India against a hostile Australian attack at home, but Chappell is confident of the abilities in India’s batsmen – the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (the highest run-scorer in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy) and Rahane himself – believing it’s a wonderful opportunity for the youngsters to make a mark.
“He [Kohli] will be a big loss but they have got some very good young batsmen. India, of all the international countries, is producing very good young batsmen and that’s been the case for a while now,” he said.
“And if the young blokes take the attitude: ‘alright, Kohli is gone, so this is a great opportunity for me to win myself a permanent place in the Indian side’, then it augurs well. Yeah, no one is going to totally replace Kohli but, as you know, in a team, when you lose a star player, everybody else has got to do that little bit extra and you can make up for it.”

Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes return as England name squad for first two India Tests
- Archer and Stokes were rested for England's two-Test series against Sri Lanka.

'Took injection, couldn't feel my leg': Vihari describes batting through pain
- Moments into his innings, Hanuma Vihari ran a single and grimaced in pain, and it was at that moment that everyone knew he had done something to his hamstring.

'MS Dhoni mentioned it': Styris feels CSK are in 'big trouble' ahead of IPL 2021
- Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris is worried for Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2021 after they released their list of retained and released players.

Don't want to be compared with Dhoni: Pant aims to 'make a name' for himself

‘He might get the captaincy’, Chappell names the potential replacement of Paine

Wear that 36 all out like a badge, R Sridhar recalls 'Raviship' and more
- India's fielding coach R Sridhar opened about the tour in an elaborate chat, asserting it will be difficult to surpass what the team went through in the past one month - from hitting the nadir to reaching the zenith.

'Couldn't speak to him but offered flowers to his grave'

'A huge boost,' Root pumped about Stokes, Archer's return for India Tests
- Stokes and Archer were rested for the Sri Lanka Tests but are fully expected to be named in England's squad which will be announced later Thursday.

SLC instructs team manager to submit report on alleged misconduct by player

KKR will be very competitive this year, says head coach McCullum

'Not too many times that you lose to a second or third choice side': Warne

Draw not an option for England in 2nd test against Sri Lanka

Du Plessis preparing for unexpected test series in Pakistan
