Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid and the 2000 ODI runs connection
Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid and the 2000 ODI runs connection
Former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid was a sensation to watch in his heydays, his sound technique and unblemished stroke play along with monk like temperament made him one of the greats to have featured the game. He was the spine of Indian batting line up in both Tests and One-Day format.
Ajinkya Rahane on the other hand has been a keen follower of Dravid and idolises him with the bat in hand. Rahane has been an avid follower of him and his style of play along with body language and way of conduct is a testament to it. Both the batsmen have previously played for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rahane on many occasions have revealed that Dravid has world hard on his game and has been a great mentor. The guru and disciple share camaraderie and Rahane has adapted immense skills from the Wall of Indian cricket.
Rahane after a shaky start to his One-Day International (ODI) career has now established himself as one of the pillars of strength of the current batting line-up. In the ongoing second ODI between Australia and India at Brisbane, Rahane smashed 89 runs off 80 deliveries and achieved the 2000 runs milestone in ODI cricket when he scored the 48th run of his innings. Rahane took 63 ODI innings to finish his 2000 ODI runs at an average of 33.45. He was once tipped to be the next Dravid and with this knock he has certainly proved that he is set for the big stage.
Interestingly, his role model Dravid also took the equal amount of innings to score 2000 ODI runs. It’s a captivating connection, as Rahane off late has been following Dravid’s footsteps and is emerging as one of the most consistent outfits in the current Indian crop.
India at present have managed to put a convincing total of 308 in their 50 overs on the board and will look forward to restrict the formidable hosts. With some fruitful years to come, one can expect Rahane to create more such records and inscribe his name with gold.