Once a spotless runner, Rahane turns recurring protagonist in mix-ups

An episode of terrible miscommunication between KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane led to the latter’s exit as India fell like a pack of cards in the afternoon session on the second day of the opening Test in Nottingham. India had just lost their captain courtesy of the indefatigable Jimmy Anderson and a run-out was the last thing they wanted, but that was precisely what materialized in the 44th over.

Rahul defended Ollie Robinson into the point region and shimmied down the crease as if to pursue a quick single. Non-striker Rahane responded to his partner’s proactiveness and jetted off halfway down the track, only to his utter shock find Rahul cemented in his crease at the striker’s end. Any remote chances of making his ground back were nipped in the bud by an alert Jonny Bairstow, who swooped in from backward point to pick up the ball one-handed and hit the bull’s eye to catch Rahane yards short.

Interestingly, Rahane has been involved in an alarming four run-outs in the last 33 partnerships in Tests, whereas he had a clean slate in the 204 partnerships prior to that juncture. He was guilty of selling Kohli down the river in Adelaide Oval last year during the epoch-making Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli hadn’t put a foot wrong and was looking hungry for a daddy hundred when Rahane decided to call for a sharp run and then turned his back on the well-set captain, who missed a richly deserved ton by 26 runs.