The two cricketing superpowers India and Australia will be up against each other in the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy, starting from December 17 in Adelaide. India will have a major disadvantage as their skipper Virat Kohli will not be available for the last three Tests. Kohli will be heading back to India after the first pink-ball Test to be with his wife Anushka Sharma during the birth of their first child. 

In the absence of Kohli, India’s vice-captain in the purest format of the game, Ajinkya Rahane can don the captain hat for the visitors in the last three Tests. However, Rahane is not concerned about the leadership responsibilities as for now, he is just thinking about the first Test and is looking forward to helping his captain on the field so that they can start the series with a victory. 

“I believe staying in the moment and present. Right now, Virat is our captain. We think about this Test match and then after that when he leaves, we will think. So for me, it is about this Test match, helping Virat out and then taking it forward,” Ajinkya Rahane said while speaking in a virtual media conference on Tuesday.

I think focus will be the key: Ajinkya Rahane

India will be first time featuring in a day-night Test match outside home, against Australia on December 17. Speaking about the challenge posed by the pitch in a pink-ball game, Rahane said that though it would be difficult, the Indian batsmen are looking forward to it as the focus and communication is the key to perform good. 

“Definitely it is a challenge. The ball behaves differently during the day and behaves differently once the lights are on. So as a batsman I think the focus will be the key. As long as you can focus as a batsman…communication will be the key among the two batters.

“Batting in the twilight period, those 40-50 minutes will be the key. If you bat well in that situation it will be good. Overall it was a good outing in the day-night warm-up (at the Sydney Cricket Ground). The start will be the key in the Test,” Rahane added