Ajinkya Rahane watched Sachin Tendulkar’s 1999 MCG ton multiple times before Boxing Day Test

Tags: India tour of Australia, 2020-21, India, Australia, Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Published on: Jan 25, 2021

Indian captain for the last three Tests in Australia, Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that he watched Sachin Tendulkar’s hundred at Melbourne in 1999 ten 10 times on the eve of last month’s Boxing Day Test. Even before the start of the match, Rahane had a look at the innings 6-7 times. The Indian captain ended scoring a memorable 112 as India won the MCG Test by eight wickets. The win was highly commendable coming in the wake of the embarrassing 36 all out in the first Test at Adelaide.

In an exclusive interview to Sports Today, Rahane revealed, “I saw Sachin’s innings in which he got a hundred at the MCG when he was the captain. He got 116 in that game, I was watching his innings. I watched it 10 times on the previous night and the morning of the game around 6-7 times. He and Dravid are my role models.”

Ajinkya Rahane was also asked about his 103 at Lord’s back in 2014. Following India’s win in the Boxing Day Test, the stand-in Indian captain had stated that he still rated the Lord’s knock higher. However, in the wake of India’s sensational triumph Down Under, Rahane admitted that the Melbourne hundred was indeed special.

“Melbourne Test hundred was really special. I said in Melbourne that my Lord’s hundred was special but many people told me that Melbourne hundred was better than the Lord’s one. Now I realise that, given the circumstances after the Adelaide Test match, Melbourne hundred was really special,” Rahane added about his Boxing Day hundred.

India came from behind to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. They pulled off an incredible draw at Sydney, with two players struggling for fitness - Hanuma Vihari with his hamstring and Ravichandran Ashwin with back spasms. They then chased down a record total of 328 at the Gabba to lift the trophy.

India next face England in a four-Test series at home, starting February 5, with Virat Kohli back as captain.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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