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Former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane believes the appointment of Virat Kohli as Test captain after MS Dhoni’s retirement marked a defining moment in Indian cricket, saying Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri transformed the team’s mindset and made it a fearless force, particularly in overseas conditions.Rahane, who recently retired from all forms of cricket, reflected on India’s Test evolution during an appearance on the Stick to Cricket podcast alongside Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell and David “Bumble” Lloyd.
‘Virat and Ravi toughened up Indian cricket’
When Dhoni retired midway through the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Kohli took over the Test captaincy and ushered in an aggressive brand of cricket that helped India become one of the world’s strongest travelling teams. Rahane, who was a key member of that era, credited both Kohli and then head coach Ravi Shastri for changing the team’s mentality.“When MS Dhoni stepped away from Test cricket, Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri toughened up Indian cricket, especially in overseas Tests. We became more aggressive, bolder, and always proactive rather than defensive,” Ajinkya Rahane said in ‘stick to cricket’“Virat always told me, ‘If you feel like attacking from the very first ball, go for it. He gave players the confidence to play fearlessly,” he added.India enjoyed one of its most successful Test periods under Kohli and Shastri, winning historic series in Australia, reaching the summit of the ICC Test rankings and qualifying for the inaugural World Test Championship final.
Rahane concerned about India’s Test mentality
Rahane also expressed concern over the direction of Test cricket, admitting that watching India’s recent struggles from the sidelines has been disappointing. Having been out of the Test setup for the past two years before announcing his retirement, the veteran batter said the longest format demands far greater resilience than what is often seen today.“Sitting at home because I last two years not been playing Test cricket, watching Indian Test team losing matches even in India as well, I felt Test cricket needs character. You need to build that character. Mental toughness, competitive cricket, that’s what is really important. Playing sessions out, ” Rahane said.Without naming any particular team, Rahane suggested that modern-day cricketers are increasingly losing the patience required to survive difficult phases of a Test match.“Nowadays you don’t see many teams, I don’t want to pinpoint on anyone, you want to see people playing out those sessions, those tough sessions,” Rahane concluded.
