Published 19:39 IST, December 15th 2020
Ajinkya Rahane stays in the moment, says 'Virat is our captain' ahead of 1st Test
Ajinkya Rahane made it clear that Virat Kohli is India's captain at the moment ahead of the high-voltage 1st Test against Australia starting Thursday
India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has decided to focus on the task at hand rather than thinking too much about the future ahead of the first Test against Australia that gets underway on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval.
It so happened that Rahane was asked about his thoughts on leading the team from the front once Virat Kohli heads back to India after the conclusion of the first Test to which he replied by saying that it is Kohli who will be leading India in the opening contest.
'Right now...': Ajinkya Rahane
“I believe staying in the moment and present. Right now, Virat is our captain. We think about this Test match and then after that when he leaves, we will think. So for me, it is about this Test match, helping Virat out and then taking it forward,” said 'Jinx' while speaking in a virtual media conference on Tuesday.
Rahane will be leading India in the last three matches as Virat Kohli will be returning to India after this match to be with his spouse Anushka Sharma as the couple expects their first child in January. The batting megastar has been granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Meanwhile, 'Captain Fearless' who has not hit a single century this will be hoping to make amends in the D/N Test and sign off on a high by breaching the three-figure mark this time around.
India look to snap Australia's winning streak in pink-ball Test
The odds are against India heading into the Adelaide Test and they will need to play out of their skins in order to come out on top and rewrite history. Kohli & Co. have their task cut out come December 17 as the Aussies have not lost a single D/N Test match ever since their first contest against New Zealand back in November 2015.
The top-ranked Test side have since gone on to win all the five matches that have been played under lights at home.
Updated 19:39 IST, December 15th 2020