Former captain and seasoned batter Ajinkya Rahane has expressed his desire to return to Test cricket for India—a format he deeply cherishes—despite receiving "no response" from the selectors.
The 37-year-old, who was part of India's defeat in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia, has been out of favour since the West Indies tour later that year. After the conclusion of that series, Rahane was dropped from the squad and has since been putting in the hard yards in domestic cricket in a bid to force his way back.
Rahane is currently present at the 'Home of Cricket', Lord's, for India's third Test against England. After both teams broke for lunch on Day 3, Rahane—renowned for his solid technique—made an honest admission, expressing his enduring passion for red-ball cricket.
"I still want to play Test cricket. I am passionate about Test cricket. For me, it’s about focusing on the controllables. Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but I got no response. What I can do is keep playing. I love Test cricket. I love playing with the red ball. It is a passion," Rahane told Sky Sports.
Following the retirement of batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Tests, there appeared to be a slim window for Rahane's return. However, despite his experience, particularly in English conditions, Indian selectors chose to invest in youth, opting for fresh faces in the red-ball setup.
Rahane, who is among the few Indian batters to score a century at Lord's, has had his share of memorable moments in whites. During India's 2020–21 tour of Australia, Rahane took over the captaincy after Virat Kohli returned home for the birth of his child.
Under Rahane’s leadership, India pulled off remarkable wins in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne and the decisive match at the Gabba, scripting a fairy-tale series victory. He finished the tour as India’s third-highest run-scorer with 268 runs, including a century at the MCG in front of a packed crowd.
Reflecting on his leadership, Rahane also outlined how his captaincy style differed from Kohli’s:
"Every captain must have their own style. When I became the Test captain, I always wanted to back my style, my thinking, and my instinct. For me, it was about staying true to my character and backing my instincts."
Since making his debut in 2013, Rahane has earned 85 Test caps, scoring 5077 runs at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries and 16 fifties. He led Mumbai in the last Ranji Trophy season, finishing with 467 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.92, which included one century and a half-century. He took Mumbai to the semi-finals, but they were knocked out after a heartbreaking loss to Vidarbha.
