Sourav Ganguly finds Ajinkya Rahane’s elevation to test vice captaincy perplexing

Ajinkya Rahane’s appointment as Test vice captain after almost 18 months on the sidelines due to the former India captain’s need for “consistency and continuity” in the selection process baffles Sourav Ganguly.

Rahane, 35, was out of favour for a whole year and a half, but he was India’s finest hitter in the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval earlier this month with scores of 89 and 46.

The national selection committee, which is led by interim chairman Shiv Sunder Das, reappointed Rahane as Rohit Sharma’s backup for the West Indies Test series only one Test after his comeback.

Was training someone like Shubman Gill for the post not the best course of action?

Ganguly said to PTI over a private conversation from London, “Yeah, I think so.” He didn’t describe Rahane’s ascent as a step forward or a realistic choice, however.

I’m not going to call it a step backward. After being away for 18 months, you participate in a Test and are promoted to vice captain. I don’t get the reasoning behind it. There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been a contender for a while and is a foregone conclusion in Test matches.

“But I don’t see how you can come back after an absence of 18 months and immediately take over as vice captain. The choices shouldn’t be hot and cold, in my opinion. One of India’s best Test captains, Ganguly, said that there must be continuity and consistency in the selection process.

By excluding a batter of Chetshwar Pujara’s stature, the Indian selectors have pushed the transition button, and Ganguly wants a direct line of communication with a player who has participated in more than 100 Test matches for India.

“Selectors need to be well-informed on him (Pujara). Do they wish to continue with younger players or do they require him to play Test cricket any longer? If so, let him know. Someone like Pujara cannot be selected, dropped, picked again, and dropped again. The same is true of Ajinkya Rahane as well, Ganguly added bluntly.

Sarfaraz Khan deserves the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities.

There has been an overarching perception that having a strong IPL, as Ruturaj Gaikwad did, is necessary even to be considered for Test cricket. However, Ganguly disputes such idea. He said that a talented hitter like Sarfaraz Khan, who struggled in the IPL, should be given the opportunity to succeed.

“In the Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy, and Duleep Trophy, Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored a tonne of runs, in my opinion. I believe that’s the reason he’s on the squad. I’m sorry about Sarfaraz Khan. Given how many runs he has scored over the last three years, he ought to get a chance eventually.

“The same goes for Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has scored a tonne of runs over the last five to six years. I find it surprising that none of them was included, but they should have a chance in the future. However, Yashasvi Jasiwal is a wise choice.

As Director of Cricket at Delhi Capitals, he has a first-hand understanding of Sarfaraz, thus he is not amused by the idea that he cannot play fast bowling.

He said, “If you don’t play him (Sarfaraz) against fast bowling, how do you know?”

“If he had issues, he wouldn’t have scored so many runs throughout India,” the author said. Personally, I think he should be given a chance since he doesn’t have any issues with quick bowling.

Does he believe that in order to challenge the administration of the Indian team, we need a prominent name as chairman? To be really honest, I don’t want to remark on that.

There is no reason why one cannot play in both the IPL and World Cup final.

There is a school of thinking that the BCCI should contact IPL clubs to keep tabs on player workload as the World Test Championship final is usually scheduled to take place after two months of the IPL.

Ganguly, who has held positions on opposing sides, believes it is not a workable option.

“This notion doesn’t hold water for me. Ajinkya Rahane participated in the IPL as well, and he excelled in both the IPL and the World Test Championship final. I don’t agree with this idea, therefore. David Warner and Cameron Green, two Australian youngsters, performed well in the World Test Championship as well as the IPL.

“There was ample time to adjust to Test cricket once the IPL ended. They travelled to England and performed. It previously took place. Things used to happen extremely rapidly when you played ODI and Test cricket, so I don’t think it’s a problem. Therefore, in my opinion, you should be able to modify your technique and temperament and perform well in a Test match even if you play in the IPL.

A terrific job was done by BCCI and ICC in selecting the World Cup locations.

While several traditional hubs, including Mohali and Nagpur, were left out, Ganguly lauded the ICC and BCCI’s top brass for their wise selection of sites.

“It’s a tremendous calendar, and the matches have been well distributed. I have no doubts that the World Cup will be fantastic because BCCI and ICC did a fantastic job of assigning the right matches to the right locations. I am aware of how BCCI manages the IPL; they will turn it into a show,” he said.