Sunil Gavaskar asserts skipper Virat Kohli's absence will put 'no real pressure' on Rahane

Legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar reckons that there will no pressure on vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli in the upcoming Test series against Australia. 

Kohli will be heading back to India after the conclusion of the first Test in Adelaide as he has been granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be with his spouse Anushka Sharma as the couple expects their first child in January. Rahane on the other hand will have to lead the team from the front in the following three Test matches. 

'There is no real pressure': Sunil Gavaskar

 "There is no real pressure on Ajinkya Rahane, because both the times that he has led the team, he has won. He led against Australia in Dharamshala and India won. He led against Afghanistan and India won. So, as far as his captaincy is concerned, there is going to be no pressure because he knows he is at the moment, only the stand-in captain for the 3 Test matches", said Gavaskar while speaking on Star Sports show 'GAME PLAN'.

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Can Team India do the unthinkable?

India have their task cut out once regular skipper Kohli leaves the Australian tour midway as they will have to play out of their skins in order to retain the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy that they had won a couple of years back on Australian soil by beating a depleted Australian side. Their star players Steve Smith and David Warner were handed a 12-month suspension from international cricket for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March 2018. 

Before Rahane leads India in the final three Tests, the visitors will be hoping to draw first blood at the Adelaide Oval as the contest will be played under lights. The odds are against India as Australia have won all five pink-ball Tests that they have played so far and coincidentally, all those wins have come in their home conditions. 

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(Image Courtesy: AP)

(With ANI Inputs)