Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 12 (ANI): After the loss in the first Test against England, Virat Kohli had expressed disappointment about the body language of players and the Test vice-captain on Friday came out in support of the Indian skipper’s comment.
Ajinkya Rahane reiterated his stand that Kohli is and will continue to be his captain and said the body language of the players could have been because of how the pitch behaved on the first two days of the opening Test.
“It is not always possible to have the same sort of energy on the field. The lack of energy sometimes on the field in the first Test was not due to the captain getting changed. Virat Kohli is and will continue to be my captain. Kuch masala nahi milega yahan (You won’t get any controversy here),” said Rahane during the virtual press conference.
“The body language might also be because of how wicket behaved in the first two days of the opening Test. Virat is our captain, he will be our captain,” he added.
Last week, after Virat Kohli returned to lead India in the first Test, Rahane had said he has no problems in taking the back seat. The vice-captain also said he will giving suggestions whenever Kohli asks as there are many things going on in the captain’s mind during a game.
“Virat (Kohli) is the captain. He left from Australia for family reasons that is why I became the captain. Originally Virat is the captain and I am the vice-captain. So I am really happy that he is back with us. Which is really positive,” Rahane had said
“As a team, we are trying to play as a unit and together as well as to our strengths. My job is to take a backseat and then help out Virat whenever required, whenever he asks me for certain things I will help him,” he said.
England defeated India by 227 runs in the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. England’s winning start against India in their ICC World Test Championship series has kept alive the visiting side’s hopes of making the final of the nine-team competition.
The victory lifted England to first place and 70.2 percentage points on the points table and they have improved their chances of securing one of the three series results in their favour that could see them through to the final – 3-1, 3-0 or 4-0.
New Zealand has already qualified for the final winning 70.0 per cent of their matches (with no other series scheduled) while India and Australia remain in contention for the other place along with England.
India, who have slipped to the fourth position with 68.3 percentage points, cannot afford another loss in the four-match series and will be looking to win at least two of the remaining three matches to secure a 2-1 or 3-1 result and a place in the final. (ANI)
