It might have been Ajinkya Rahane’s last innings: Parthiv Patel

India’s former wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel reckons Ajinkya Rahane might have played his last innings for the Indian team.

Rahane was dismissed for an eighth-ball duck in the second innings of the fourth Test. The right-hander has struggled to get going in the last couple of years.

Rahane could only score 109 runs in the seven innings at an average of 15.57 in the Test series against England and failed to get going. The right-hander’s Test average has dropped down below 40 as he has been averaging in the mid-20s in the last two years.

Meanwhile, Rahane was averaging more than 50 in 2016 but he hasn’t been consistent. The right-hander will now need to turn the tables in the upcoming matches if he gets an opportunity.

Parthiv Patel said while talking to Aakash Chopra on the latter’s YouTube Channel, “I feel it might have been Ajinkya Rahane’s last innings. Rahane’s peak batting average of 51.4 in 2016 and from there he has come to 39. The form has gone down considerably.”

“That means the consistency is not there, there is no doubt about that. There is definitely a pattern for Ajinkya Rahane. There will definitely be questions asked about players who are not consistent.”

On the other hand, Patel believes Rahane is playing from the crease which is causing trouble for him. The right-hander is struggling to get the confidence under his belt, which is leading to his woes.

Patel added, “We are seeing the technical faults. The front shoulder has opened up because of which his foot is not going forward. He is playing from the crease many times.”

“People will only stop talking about Ajinkya Rahane, just like it has slightly ended for Pujara when he makes a big score. It will not happen without that because you are talking about the vice-captain of the team.”

Ajinkya Rahane will now play for Delhi Capitals in the second phase of the Indian Premier League. Rahane has all the experience under his belt and he will look to get back to form and score some crucial runs for the franchise.