IND vs WI 2019 Test Series: Will Ajinkya Rahane End His Century Drought in the Longest Format of The Game?

India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will be a man on a mission in the two-match Test series against West Indies. The right-handed batsman scored his last Test century two years ago in August 2017 against Sri Lanka and since then, the veteran has been facing a rough patch in the longest format of the game. However, the Indian team management haven't lost their faith in him and the batsman has been a regular for India in the longest format. Ajinkya Rahane Gets Welcome Runs Against West Indies A Ahead of First Test.

The 30-year-old made a great start to his career and was the mainstay of the batting line-up for a long time. He even got awarded for his consistent run and was named vice-captain of the side. However, Rahane has not been in the best of forms in recent times and will like to end the drought by playing some match-defining knocks against the calypso kings. The right-handed batsman did play some decent innings but those knocks were far below from Rahane's standards. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav Shine As India Continue to Dominate three-day practice match Against West Indies Cricket Board XI.

Since his century at Colombo in 2017, Virat Kohli's deputy has played 17 Test matches in which he has scored 696 runs at an average of touch over 24. The veteran notched up five fifties in the meantime with the best score of 81 against England at Nottingham previous year.

Recently, the Mumbai-born batsman played for Hampshire in the county cricket league. Rahane started the campaign with a match-winning ton on debut but failed to deliver consistently and crossed the fifty run mark only once in the next 13 innings.

The last time Rahane played in Caribbean soil, he registered four consecutive fifty-plus scores in the five-match ODI series in 2017 and was also adjudged the Man of the Series. The veteran also has a test hundred in the West Indies and will look to use all his experience to put up a splendid show in the two-match rubber.

The two-match Test series will get underway from August 22, 2019. India are the number one ranked Test side and will start the series as favourites. However,  the Jason Holder-led side defeated England in their last test series at home and will want to extend their winning run.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2019 03:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).