Former Australia coach Justin Langer said that Steve Waugh gave India batsman Ajinkya Rahane advice before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020–21. Langer talked about how Waugh called him to tell him that he had been helping Rahane on Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship final.
After being left off the Indian Test team for the home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022, Rahane made a surprising return. On Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval, which was his first international game since then, he made 89.
Rahane’s hit helped the team escape going into follow-on, which would have been a bad thing for the Indian team in London. Justin Langer also discussed how well-known cricketer Waugh aided Rahane’s cool demeanor.
Rahane was talking to Steve, so I knew something was wrong. Justin Langer
The 52-year-old said that Waugh was honest with him and told him that he talked to the Indian batter often and gave him advice. In particular, Rahane’s century in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne helped the Indian team make an amazing comeback in that series.
“Before the show began, my hero, Steve Waugh, called me and told me I was going to be honest. I want to be honest and say that I’ve been talking to Rahane and helping him prepare for that game. Not Steve Waugh, the iceman, and we saw Rahane’s calmness and the way he played in that series. When I heard he was talking to Steve, that was a red flag for me,” Langer said on Star Sports.
Rahane, on the other hand, got 89 runs with 11 fours and one six off of 129 balls. On the second and third days of the WTC Final, the top Indian batter hurt his fingers and his head. Rahane was kicked off the Indian team in January 2022 because he didn’t play very well. He was only on the team because Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant were hurt.
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