Frustration, disappointment and redemption: Rahane's homecoming is complete

Almost exactly six years ago, Ajinkya Rahane smashed an unbeaten 265 for Mumbai against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. It remains his highest first class score. A few months later, I remember talking to someone who had covered that match. “Not international class,” was the snap judgment. It was a period in his career where Rahane would churn out hundreds in the Ranji Trophy as if on auto pilot. But we love our perceptions in Indian cricket. And Rahane was then perceived as being too meek, not ’tough’ and ‘aggressive’ enough for the gruelling international stage. The perception stuck, and played its part in him spending 16 successive Tests on the India bench. And when the debut finally came in 2013 - at the same Feroz Shah Kotla where he has now scored twin hundreds against South Africa - Rahane did nothing to dispel those perceptions. A nervous wreck despite India’s utterly dominant position against Australia, he staggered down the track, only to gift his wicket to the novice off spin of Glenn Maxwell. [caption id=“attachment_2537480” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  As he looked up to the skies after reaching the hundred in the first innings, Rahane might well have traced the path of the circle in his mind. AP[/caption] That nightmare debut had left Rahane understandably shattered. But he went back and worked hard on his batting with coach Pravin Amre. And after hundreds in Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and 90s in South Africa and Bangladesh, the negative perceptions have long been shattered. Yet, there was one thing missing. After having proved himself beyond all doubt in conditions that have ended the careers of several Indian batsmen before him, Rahane averaged eight at home before the Delhi Test against South Africa. Admittedly he was only four Tests old in India yet, but eight? Indian batsmen in Indian conditions has been one of the most productive combinations in cricket. All of Rahane’s colleagues in the Indian team had scored big at home. Cheteshwar Pujara has had his problems abroad, but he has piled on massive hundreds in India. Rohit Sharma has had an up and down Test career so far, but even he began with hundreds against West Indies at home. Indian batsmen are expected to set up home Test matches for their spinners with mammoth innings. There was not much setting up happening this series from any batsman with spinners dominating thoroughly on helpful pitches, but Rahane was not even getting starts, and succumbing to soft dismissals. He has now ended the series as the only batsman on either side to get to three figures - that too twice, that too in the same match. And just like his rescue acts abroad, he had to perform one at the Kotla too, when India were struggling on 139 for 6 in the first innings. He was willing to avoid the release stroke early in his knock, he was there to accelerate after the rebuilding had been done. In the second innings, he was willing to hang in when India had lost a few early wickets. With Virat Kohli in flow at the other end, that is what was needed from Rahane then. After Kohli fell, Rahane took charge, proceeding to shift gears and bring up another hundred. In shorter description, he adapted. Just like he has adapted to conditions around the world, and came out on top. Here he was required to adapt to one of the most consistently challenging conditions in a Test series in india. And he came out on top again. After Delhi 2013, few would have expected that Rahane would come close to scoring a hundred each time he travelled outside India. Given how he had fared in Nagpur and Mohali, few would have expected Rahane to score twin hundreds in Delhi. It has been a hard journey of performing against expectation. Delhi 2015 has completed the circle that began with Delhi 2013. From frustration to disappointment to redemption to the final piece of the jigsaw falling in place. As he looked up to the skies after reaching the hundred in the first innings, Rahane might well have traced the path of the circle in his mind, and felt all the accompanying emotions. He was being called the most complete current Indian Test batsman away from home by some experts. On the evidence of Delhi 2015, there is a case for omitting the away bit. Rahane’s homecoming is complete.