Former India player Ajinkya Rahane recently bid adieu to all forms of cricket, and the veteran opened up on his most challenging phase. Rahane was given his maiden India cap in 2011, but he had to wait for two years to play his first Test for the country in 2013. He mentioned that he was part of the red-ball squad for two years but had to wait for a long time for his Test debut. He was the 12th man, and the phase was challenging, but it also helped him in his long career. 

“I entered the team for the first time in 2011, but I had to wait for 20 games to play my first Test for the country. I was the team’s 12th man for two years, and it was a challenging phase for me, but I learnt a lot as well. I had two options: Try to prove myself with the bat or go for sympathy. There is nothing bad if you are a 12th man serving water or helping the teammates. I took everything positively. I could play for a long time because of the experiences and the challenges. Observing others helped my mindset and attitude.

It is easy to seek sympathy, but I never went for it,” he said.

He played his first against Australia in 2013. He managed seven and one across both innings in Delhi but became a key player of the side. He is calm and composed. According to him, he learned the art of being patient and also narrated how travelling in public transport helped him.

“I was patient before but also developed after playing cricket and gaining experience. I never had so much patience from the start. It is challenging when you use Mumbai local for travelling from place to place. Your patience starts developing from there.

When I started playing domestic cricket, and the contributions started coming in, I thought of playing for India. However, I realised it will happen when it has to happen after talking to senior players. You can only control the controllables. If you want to have a long career, patience is a must,” he added.

In 85 Tests for India, Rahane scored 5077 runs at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries and 26 fifties.

Overall, he represented India in 195 matches across all formats in international cricket, amassing 8414 runs at an average of 35.95, laced with 15 hundreds and 51 fifties.