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Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane: A Study of Contrasts circa 11th Oct, 2015

Let's talk about Indian Cricket. Yes, it's a coarse topic but its been a while now since I last discussed it. I have some observations and conclusion that I gained during this period of incubation and those need to be laid down here, so let's start:

1) Rohit Sharma has undoubtedly become the cornerstone of Indian One Day Cricket Batting Line-up and these are the first instances since Sachin's departure that watching a batsman at crease gives you same sense of assurance. I can recollect Ricky Ponting's observation of him after the conclusion of India's victorious CB Series Campaign of 2008 where Rohit opened the batting with Master himself and Ricky singled out him as the 'future batting star of the world'. Then the label of 'outrageous talent' got stuck to him and he through his later performances (until this golden period) seriously undermined it. But then he was awarded the Captaincy of Mumbai Indians and he regained his lazy, saintly composure. He looks very relaxed out there and his lazy elegance reminds us of Gower's and Laxman's. Kohli last year said that Rohit is certainly the hardest worker in the nets but I and so many like me didn't believe him. I am happy now to think that I was wronged by Rohit, The Hitman. You are hearing this all from a Rohit-Skeptical.

2) Ajinkya Rahane is probably the most technically correct player going around in the world. Even his brutal boundary shots come with an assuring technique. He is easy on the eye and a pupil of the Old School that graduated the greats such as Laxman and Dravid. He is all like them, rarely speaks, rarely emotes and yes, scores aplenty and timely. So what's wrong with Jinx. His name in Marathi and Sanskrit means an 'Invincible'. He rarely plays a false stroke, the ball almost always finds the middle of his bat, then what's troubling him? The man who has been accredited as Next Dravid of Indian One Day team, I believe is cursed by the same cruel destiny that plagued Dravid's early ODI days: Unable to rotate the strikes if not finding boundaries at will and a strike rate of 70+ that never looks to breach 80. He always finds the solitary fielder that is standing in a deserted 30-yard circle with a bewildering frequency. He rarely finds his accelerating gear. And MS was correct about him. This is hard to say for I'm a bigger fan of Rahane than any current Indian player but MS caught him at his weakest.

C) And that leads me to MS. Yesterday, he scored 31 from 30 balls. A comparable strike rate in view of asking run rate. Yes, you can't always finish off a game with six and MS wasn't to blame there. That Rabada was able to find an immaculate back of length delivery to dismiss him must be credited and he must be left alone. MS' captaincy has always provided me with a sense of ease and security that while he is in charge, we are in the game at a competitive position. So I shall expect his judgement once again and back him for this series. I'm his detractor, of course.
4) Bilateral series of ODI Cricket is an occasion where most teams blood their young guns. India always finds her ego more valuable than her fore-sight. Youngsters like Gurkeerat, Mandeep and Mayank Agarwal should have been playing Proteas in this series.

So what do you think?.................‪#‎NakedEmotions‬

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