Ajinkya Rahane’s calm and composed leadership of India in their stunning Test triumph over Australia earned widespread praise Wednesday -- and increased pressure on regular captain Virat Kohli ahead of a home series against England next month, reports AFP.
The whole Indian team have become national heroes for their 2-1 series victory sealed in the dramatic finale in Brisbane on Tuesday, where no team had beaten Australia in 32 years.
India coach Ravi Shastri hailed Rahane’s tactical command in the series as “simply brilliant”.
Rahane, 32, took over from Kohli after India’s humiliating opening loss in Adelaide where they were bowled out for 36 and masterminded a spectacular return against Tim Paine's Australians.
India chased down a target of 328 with 18 balls to spare on the fifth day of the final Test in Australia's “Fortress Gabba”.
The Times of India newspaper hailed “Ajinkya The Invincible” for his unblemished record as skipper -- four wins and one draw in five Tests substituting for Kohli.
Kohli, who returned to India last month for the birth of his daughter, was among the first to pay tribute to the "grit and determination" shown by the injury-hit team as they retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“To lead the side from the position we were and then to make them bounce back and control things in the middle like the way you have done is simply, simply brilliant,” Shastri said.
India were skittled out for 36 in their second innings of the first Test and lost inside three days.
With Kohli leaving and injuries beginning to mount, nobody expected India to defy the odds and come back to win the series.
But they did, under a captain whose understated style is diametrically opposed to Kohli's in-your-face aggression.
India won the second Test in Melbourne and drew the third at Sydney after batting out the entire final day for a draw to leave the series on a knife-edge at 1-1.
