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Ajinkya Rahane can match this MS Dhoni record in Sydney Test

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Miguel Prazeres
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Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane ( Image Credit: Twitter)

India’s stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane has an excellent opportunity to match former skipper MS Dhoni’s unique record. If Rahane wins against Australia at Sydney, then he will win his first 4 Tests as captain.

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Hence, he will equal MS Dhoni’s record, who also won his first four matches as Test captain. Dhoni took the captaincy reins from Anil Kumble in 2008. MS Dhoni is currently the only Indian skipper to win so many games. Ajinkya Rahane can also become the second skipper to achieve the feat in Sydney. Although Rahane has never been a full-time captain, he has stood in for Virat Kohli on three instances earlier.

Rahane won his first Test match as captain against Australia back in 2017. After that, he achieved his second win beating Afghanistan in their first Test in 2018. That was continued by the recent Boxing Day Test victory at MCG. Surprisingly, Ajinkya Rahane's led-team had defeated Australia by eight wickets on both instances.

Ajinkya Rahane led India in Virat Kohli's absence

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Many thought Rahane would struggle after taking over in such disastrous circumstances. But the 32-year-old confidently led from the front in Melbourne Test. The batsman scored a stunning hundred in the first innings and scored the winning runs in the second as well.

Rahane also supported his bowlers brilliantly and was on point with his field placements also. From changing bowlers at the right moment to guiding the debutants Siraj and Gill, Rahane was the perfect mix of calm and aggression.

Rahane can reach many other achievements in Sidney's Test

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Apart from matching MS Dhoni’s record as skipper, Ajinkya Rahane will also have other opportunities to reach several other batting milestones. So far, only four batsmen have scored 1,000 Test runs in Australia. Sachin Tendulkar is leading the list with 1809 runs in 20 matches. However, with 797 runs in 10 games, Rahane can become just the 5th batsman to score 1,000 Test runs in Australia.

The right-handed batsman is known for being a patient at the crease. His capability to spend long hours in the middle has always helped India in overseas conditions. His proficiency in foreign pitches is evident in his record. If Rahane performs well in Sydney, he can become the 10th Indian batsman to score at least 3,000 runs in overseas Tests. The Mumbaikar currently has 2891 runs in 40 matches away from home.

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