C365 Player of the Week: Ajinkya Rahane
One player who endured the Test series snow storm with somewhat better insulation was Ajinkya Rahane, and it was not surprising that he took that form into the ODI series.
India's opening pairing finally (FINALLY!) came right on Tuesday, in the fourth ODI against England at Edgbaston, putting on a near-200 stand as their side won by nine wickets, and thus claimed the series.
Before the series, Graeme Swann said England had a 'cat's chance in hell' of winning the World Cup, but he could have said that about this series too, as the India players slid into their preferred format like a man coming out of a snow storm into a jacuzzi.
One player who endured the Test series snow storm with somewhat better insulation was <b>Ajinkya Rahane</b>, and it was not surprising that he took that form into the ODI series. He was moved up to opener once Rohit Sharma got injured.
In the Tests, Rahane and his little baby face scored a century and two fifties, and was one of only two Indians to score a ton in that horror picture show. Shikhar Dhawan, on the other hand, was dropped for the last two Tests.
Then on Tuesday they combined to score 183 runs together in Birmingham, flaying England's bowlers around the ground, as Rahane's early confidence inspired his team-mate to rediscovered heights, as Dhawan made 97 not out himself.
In the week prior to said game, and thus part of this priceless gong's calculations, Rahane scored 41 and 45 as India won both those games. On Tuesday he upped the ante, recording 106, his first ODI century.
He also became the first India opener to score a ton in an ODI against England, in England. It was also the second highest score by any India batsman against England at home, just one run shy of Virat Kohli's 107.
Aside of the earlier Honourable Mention to Dhawan for his return to form, we must give it up for <b>Faf du Plessis</b>, who again added an ODI ton to his records. Having gone 50 ODIs without a maiden ton, he's now scored two in three games. Alas, Tuesday's 126 was in vain as Australia won by 62 runs.
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