Ajinkya Rahane, after leading India to a historic Test series win Down Under, returned home to a hero’s welcome. Apart from his batting and inspiring captaincy, his gestures off the field, whether it be presenting Nathan Lyon with a signed jersey or refusing to cut a cake with a kangaroo on it, also made the headlines and earned him widespread praise. In an interview with cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, Rahane revealed that he decided not to cut that cake because “kangaroo is their national animal” and it is important to respect the opposition and their sentiments regardless of whether you win or lose.
“Kangaroo is their national animal. I don’t want to do that. You give your opposition respect, you treat them well even if you win or even if you create history,” Rahane told Bhogle in an interview posted on his Facebook page.
“You have to have that respect for your opponent, you have to have that respect for other countries. That is why I took the decision not to cut the cake with a kangaroo on it,” he added.
Watch the full interview here:
Rahane, in the interview, also spoke about the game plan Team India went in with on the fifth day of the Gabba Test, with 324 required to win the game.
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“Roles were completely clear… just backing their own individual game. I remember when Pujara was batting and I walked in, I told him you just play the way you like, you play your normal game. I am just going to attack and play positive cricket. If I can 30-40 quick runs here, we have a game in hand. Because I was thinking in my head that if we have to get 140-160 runs in 38-40 overs, we have the game in our hands,” explained Rahane.
Rahane along with other Team India members are currently in quarantine in Chennai ahead of the Test series against England. Virat Kohli will be back leading the side when the first Test begins on February 5 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
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