Perhaps, one of the last of the quintessential member of the esteemed Bombay School of Batsmanship, Rahane’s face did not show that kind of exultation. It was just a meek smile that showed signs of relief.
How, you wondered, would this almost meek boy survive in this team of superstars and superstar-size egos, when he first came into the side. But Rahane has grown by quite a measure in the previous overseas tours. Underneath the soft exterior that Rahane presents, lurks a very solid Indian Test batsman.
He does not have the magnetic personality of Virat Kohli, the eye-catching stroke play of Rohit Sharma or the discipline of Cheteshwar Pujara. But what Ajinkya possesses is fluency. He made a pretty nonchalant looking century under some pressure, but he did it so seamlessly that when you just glanced at the scoreboard, you were amazed to see him playing on 78.
The way he motored to his second Test century was brilliant. Punches down the ground and some exquisitely controlled pull shots propelled him to the Lord’s honours boards. The most striking shot of the day had to be the delightful loft over Anderson’s head to get him half-a-dozen runs. No brutality, sheer timing. Vijay Merchant would certainly have approved of that.
It was very agonizing to see the back of Rahane as soon as he stroked the ball through the covers to the boundary. Jimmy Anderson snapped the reflex catch to end the fluency of Rahane. Even as he was walking back to the pavilion, Rahane showed hardly any signs of misery. It was as if he felt that he would really offend the entire cricketing fraternity if he put up a more emotional face.
Maybe that’s the way he is. Shy, reserved and inarticulate. But with a bat in his hands, his eloquence is perhaps the most endearing to watch.
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