India vs Australia: “I will be accused of backing a Mumbai boy” – Sunil Gavaskar refuses to comment on Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy

India vs Australia: “I will be accused of backing a Mumbai boy” – Sunil Gavaskar refuses to comment on Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy

Sunil Gavaskar and Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane

Just about a week after a humiliating defeat at the Adelaide Oval, India seemed to have buried the ghosts as they came back with a strong performance on Day 1 against Australia in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The visitors shot out Australia for 195 with Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin taking four and three wickets respectively. In reply, India got to 36/1.

India are without their skipper Virat Kohli who has left for India on paternity leave. Ajinkya Rahane is the stand-in skipper for the last three Tests and the Mumbai batsman impressed with his excellent field placements to complement the bowlers’ strong performances. Rahane also warmed hearts with a gesture wherein he allowed debutant Mohammed Siraj to lead his side back to the pavilion during the tea break.

‘These are early days’ – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar

Analyzing the first day of the second Test on Sony Sports Network, Gavaskar refused to comment too much on Rahane’s captaincy saying, “Let’s not jump into conclusions too quickly. If I say that his captaincy is outstanding, then again, I will be accused of backing a Mumbai boy and all kinds of things will happen. So I don’t want to get into that because these are early days.”

“From what I have seen in the last 2 Tests he captained and the one-day matches he captained, he has got a great sense of where the fielders should be kept. Having said that, it’s very important for the bowlers to bowl to their field. If the bowlers bowl to the field, as they did today, then the captain looks very good,” Gavaskar added.

Gavaskar rather focused on crediting the Indian bowlers. ““It’s important for India to look beyond the fact that it’s only Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy. It’s the way Ashwin bowled, it’s the way Bumrah bowled, it’s the way Siraj made his debut. I mean imagine, being a new-ball bowler, and you don’t get to bowl a single delivery before the second session. Only in the second session, you get to bowl in the 27th over but he showed great spirit in the way he came and bowled,” he said.

Also Read: India vs Australia: “Aimed at creating pressure from both ends” – Jasprit Bumrah speaks on India’s plans on Day 1