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'Loyalty will eventually run out. His time seems to have passed'': Ex-NZ bowler names Rahane’s replacement for SA series
Sanjay Bangar, however, feels that India might not want to replace the two experienced batters with under-cooked youngsters yet
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull was absolutely critical of veteran Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane's poor run of form in Test cricket and feels that time has come to replace him with a youngster for the impending tour of South Africa where Virat Kohli's men will play three Tests, starting December 26.
Rahane returned with scores of 35 and 4 in the first Test against New Zealand and was rested for the second Test after suffering a minor left hamstring strain while fielding on the final day of the Kanpur Test. His poor returns, which added to his lean phase, saw his career batting average drop to as low as 39.01, the lowest he has registered since February 2014.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, who made his debut in the Kanpur game against New Zealand, twice revived India after a top-order failure to score 105 and 65 and become the first Indian batsman ever to score a century and a hlaf-century in their maiden Test appearance. The Man of the Match performance, along with Rahane's strong of poor returns saw many talking about the veteran's place in the playing XI for the crucial South Africa series.
Doull, in conversation with Star Sports, admitted Rahane's capabilities and his record as a specialist batsman in overseas conditions, but found it hard to ignore, his "average of 24 in the last 29 innings" which includes that brilliant ton in Melbourne last December.
"Loyalty is eventually going to run out. Rahane is a champion human being, he is huge part of the set-up and is in the leadership group but those numbers - 29 innings for an average of 24 - players with far better records in Test career in India have been dropped from this Indian side and left out. He has had a great record overseas but his time seems to have passed and he has suffered similar dismissals and I don't know if he is as good a player he was three years ago. Not playing regularly enough, and when young guys are coming in and kicking the door, I think they deserve an opportunity," he said.
The veteran cricketer further opined that with the standard that India set in world cricket with their sheer dominance in the format, Rahane's current batting numbers stands contrary to it. He feels that India should replace him with Iyer for the South Africa Test series.
"If he was still averaging 34, 35, 36 in the last 26 Tests with with a few hundreds, I would say yes. But an average if 24 without a hundred or just one hundred in his last 29 innings, I don't think that's enough. And the standard that India stamp on the world and on their own game and set such high standards, that standard is well and below par. Maybe the time has come to bring in a young player. Yes it will be a tough introduction, but I think I will run with Shreyas Iyer," he added.
Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar, who was part of the same discussion with Doull, felt that while both Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been struggling to score that century that has eluded them for long, India might not want to replace the two experienced batters with under-cooked youngsters yet, especially for a series as important as the the one they will play in South Africa.
“Don't take anything away from the contributions made by Rahane and Pujara in major Indian wickets. You think of Australia and you think of the Melbourne where Rahane scored that century, and then in Brisbane where there was a fighting innings from Pujara. But in between, what you require from a batsman, even from an individual point of view, is the lack if three-figure mark and once you get it that monkey is off your back. Or else that outside noise continues to pile up and then it affects your footwork and mentality. They have been servants of Indian cricket but going forward whether they will get a chance to play, only time will tell. One will definitely play but I don't think the younger batters are yet cooked enough to the Test challenges in South Africa,” he said.
