Veteran opener Sunil Gavaskar expects Ajinkya Rahane to shine in India’s WTC Finals

The upcoming match also marks the return of Ajinkya Rahane to the Test setup after a long wait of 15 months.

With the conclusion of IPL 2023, all eyes are now set on the highly anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) final, where India will face Australia at The Oval from June 7. This is India’s second qualification for the Test Championship final, presenting them with a golden opportunity to end their trophy drought at multiple-team ICC events.

A major challenge for India will be to swiftly adapt to the English conditions following their intense two-month-long Indian Premier League campaign at home. This point was emphasized by batting legend Sunil Gavaskar. While Cheteshwar Pujara spent the summer in England playing County cricket, the rest of the 16-member squad, along with the standby players, were engaged in the IPL. However, the positive news for the team is that most of the players are in good form, and they will aim to carry forward their momentum into the English tour.

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The upcoming match also marks the return of Ajinkya Rahane to the Test setup after a long wait of 15 months. Since his exclusion from the team, the former vice-captain led Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and was part of the victorious IPL 2023 squad. Recognizing Rahane’s hard work and impressive performances in domestic cricket, Gavaskar considers him a crucial member of India’s batting line-up. He anticipates a strong showing from the right-handed batsman, stating that Rahane “has a point to prove” after being dropped.

Rahane’s extensive experience of playing in England and scoring runs there adds value to the Indian team. Gavaskar believes that Rahane, occupying the number 5 spot, will play a vital role in the Test match. The batting maestro also expressed his confidence in Rahane’s abilities, stating that he still has a lot of cricket left in him. This opportunity presents Rahane with a chance to showcase his skills and secure his place back in the Indian team. Gavaskar hopes that Rahane will seize this opportunity with his wealth of experience and make a compelling case for his return.

Rahane’s recent performances have been promising, as evident from his successful outing in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, where he accumulated 634 runs from 11 innings at an impressive average of 57.63. He continued his good form in IPL 2023, emerging as the fourth-highest run-scorer for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), scoring 326 runs from 11 innings at a strike-rate of 172.48.