Exclusive | Rahane deserved a better farewell, says his former coach Pravin Amre

[[{“value”:”

Ajinkya Rahane’s former coach, Pravin Amre, believes the former India star deserved a better send-off after the 38-year-old announced his retirement from international cricket through a video posted on social media. In an exclusive interview with mid-day.com, Amre revisited Rahane’s cricketing journey and his future prospects.

Amre said the veteran batter deserved a farewell on the field in front of fans after representing India in 85 Test matches.

“Ajinkya deserved a better send-off. Every player dreams of getting a respectful send-off on the ground, and I think Ajinkya deserved it too for his contribution to Indian cricket. He should have played 100 Test matches for India,” Amre said.

When asked if he knew about Rahane’s decision to retire, Amre said they had briefly discussed it and admitted that deciding to retire is one of the toughest decisions any player has to make.

“Yes, we did talk about it recently [Rahane’s retirement]. Taking a call on retirement is always difficult for any player after representing India for so many years. But I feel proud to be associated with him for over 18 years,” Said Amre.

‘Proud of the way Ajinkya handled his career’

Looking back at Ajinkya Rahane‘s career, Amre praised his mental strength, saying the former India batter endured several difficult phases but always found a way to fight back into the team.

“Overall, I am proud of the way he handled his career. It was a difficult start for him in international cricket, but his mental ability to come back from a tough period and go on to play 85 Test matches for India is commendable.”

Amre also praised Rahane’s record in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, where Indian batters have historically struggled. Rahane scored centuries in Australia, England, and New Zealand. In South Africa, his highest score is 96.

“His record in the SENA countries is incredible. The hundred at Lord’s was one of the best knocks I had ever seen. Also the series win as a captain in Australia, especially when the team was down after being all out for 36 in the first Test. To then lead from the front and score a hundred and guide the team to a series win on Australian shores was a special achievement.”

Amre also praised Rahane’s humility, saying he would miss Rahane the person more than Rahane the player.

“He is like a role model for young kids growing up. Despite achieving incredible success on the international stage, captaining the Test team to a series win away from home, he remained humble and always stayed grounded. I will miss Ajinkya the human being more than Ajinkya the player.”

Rahane never had the support of the system, claims Amre

When asked about Rahane’s chances of making a comeback to the struggling Indian Test team before announcing his retirement, Amre said the veteran batter never had the support of the system and always earned his place on merit.

“Ajinkya never had the support of the system; he always relied on his own performances and became a Test cricket stalwart for India on his own merit. He never expected people to go out of the way to help him. He did everything on his own merit and reaped rewards.”

Amre said he saw early signs of Rahane’s brilliance when the batter scored a century on his debut match for Mumbai against Pakistan.

“I always knew he would become a big player. His first match for Mumbai was away to Pakistan, and he scored a century in that match. Playing for Mumbai is enormous pressure for any player, but Ajinkya always handled it well. He earned his place in the Indian side by scoring over 5,000 runs in five years playing for Mumbai.”

Speaking on Rahane’s future after retirement, Amre said he would love to see the former India batter take up coaching and guide the next generation of cricketers.

“I would love to see Rahane stay in and around cricket after retirement. I think he could be a great coach as he has got the temperament to guide young cricketers going forward.”

When asked whether Rahane had earned his place among the greats of Mumbai cricket, Amre gave a resounding yes.

“A player who has captained India in Test cricket, played over 80 Test matches, and contributed to so many wins is definitely among the Mumbai stalwarts. He was a silent warrior who kept on scoring runs and helping his team win,” Amre concluded.

With over 5,000 Test runs and 85 Test caps to his name, Rahane has undoubtedly earned his place among the Mumbai stalwarts who have taken Indian cricket to new heights.

“}]]