India vs Australia: Ajinkya Rahane lauds the team for showing character

Captain Ajinkya Rahane lauded his team for putting up a fascinating show to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-1 series win.

Published : Jan 19, 2021 17:53 IST , Mumbai

Ajinkya Rahane at the Gabba on Tuesday.
Ajinkya Rahane at the Gabba on Tuesday.
lightbox-info

Ajinkya Rahane at the Gabba on Tuesday.

As India breached Australia's fortress, Gabba after 32 years and won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1, captain Ajinkya Rahane lauded his team for putting up a fascinating show.

India was 0-1 down in the series when Rahane took charge as the captain and since then, he scripted a turnaround and helped the side bounce back. "It was not about me but about the team. I looked good because everyone contributed. For us it was about having that character on the field, having the fighting spirit, the attitude," Rahane said after clinching the series.

The cricketing fraternity believes that it was Rahane's century in Melbourne that was the turning point in the series. "It was really tough after the Adelaide Test but it was all about showing character and fighting spirit. We were not thinking too much about the result. We just wanted to play good cricket. Credit to everyone in the squad including the support staff," the captain said.

READ: Rahane hails young guns after India breaches Gabba fortress

On the fifth day at the Gabba, young guns - Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant - played a key role in guiding the side home. And Rahane was all praises. "The way Gill batted for the last three Tests was really good. He was really composed, calm under pressure and today everyone saw what he can do.

"Washington Sundar in his first Test (in Brisbane), we know about his bowling, but the way he batted in the first innings with Shardul (Thakur) was really good. They have set the bench-mark for themselves and I am sure they will grow from here," the captain said.

It was not an easy task to chase 328, but  India only focused on playing its normal game.

"This morning we spoke about playing simple cricket. What we did in this tour was fight very hard. Yes, we were looking to play session by session. During tea time, we sent messages to Rishabh but he was always looking to chase the total.

READ: Pant, Gill shine as spirited India defeats Australia in Brisbane

"Credit to him, he took that risk and took on the Aussies. His and Pujara's innings gave the platform to win the game.

When the England series begins next month, Virat Kohli will again take charge as the captain. But Rahane doesn't want to think about it now.

"We all should enjoy this win, not just us but every Indian should enjoy this. What we did here is historic and we want to enjoy this win tonight and once we land in India we will think about the England series," said Rahane.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment