Weather played the role of a spoilsport to perfection against Virat Kohli and company on Day 3 of the second Test at Kingston, Jamaica, as the final session was washed out. With the forecast predicting more rain on Days 4 and 5, West Indies might relish the prospect of avoiding another embarrassing defeat.
But the silver lining for the Indian team will be yet another stellar knock by their newly crowned vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who scored his seventh Test century, and third in four innings, by hitting an unbeaten 108. He made 127 and 100 not out against South Africa in Delhi in December, 2015.
The 28-year-old has the panache of scoring tons abroad and by notching up his first ton in the Caribbean, he has now scored five centuries overseas – New Zealand, England, Australia, Sri Lanka and West Indies. Only South Africa and Bangladesh are yet to be conquered, although he narrowly missed out on tons twice in the Rainbow nation, having scored a 96 in 2014 and a 98 in 2015.
Another added feather is that Rahane is now the only player to have played at least one innings of 90 or more runs in eight consecutive Test series, starting from India's tour of South Africa in 2013-'14. By scoring this ton in Jamaica, Rahane now has three centuries in Tests outside Asia at No 5 – the joint highest by an India batsman, alongside Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Polly Umrigar.
Not in the same league
However, even after amassing such feats and being consistent for such a long period of time, Rahane fails to make the cut of being one of the best Test batsmen in the current crop of players. With the batting prowess of Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli making headlines across the world, Rahane still remains a batsman yet to make a mark.
But why isn’t Rahane considered to be in the same league? He plays in the crucial No 5 slot and is a vital link between the top and middle orders. He is the last of the specialist batsmen, which adds extra responsibility to his shoulders. Add to that, he has been played in various slots excluding the coveted No 4 spot. His counterparts, however, have always had the comfort of being in the top four. Going by their current status, Root and Williamson have cemented their spot at No 3, while Kohli and Smith have mastered the No 4 slot.
Even if you consider their performances in away games, Rahane packs a punch as well. Kohli leads the pack with nine away tons at an average of 46.6, followed by Williamson, also with nine tons at an average of 44.87. Australian captain Smith has six tons to his name at an outstanding average of 59.78. Then comes Rahane with five centuries, averaging 49.16, followed by Root with two hundreds at an average of 46.54.
We have seen India’s batting crumble on the tours of New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia. However, Rahane has risen to the occasion during these anxious moments. For example, in England, Kohli averages a depressing 13.40 in five matches while Rahane smashed a match winning century at Lord’s and averages a healthy 33.22 in five matches.
Rahane has always been India’s silent warrior and worked his way up the ranks. He is the ideal old-school batsman with a solid technique and perfect temperament for the longer format of the game. He doesn’t mind putting in hours of hard-work to master his trade and, unlike the modern-day batsman, plays by the book and rarely indulges in an unorthodox cricketing shot. With Smith, Root, Williamson and Kohli in the top-10 Test rankings, Rahane, who is on 15th, still has to strive hard to become a household name.
