Rahane, 35, returned to the Indian Test staff this yr after an ideal IPL season and a robust efficiency within the World Test Championship last towards Australia earlier this yr.
However, he has flopped twice with the bat, elevating issues about his consistency as soon as extra.
“Rahane will have to show consistency in his game, which has been his problem even though he has played 80-90 Tests (84). Consistency has been an issue, he will have to overcome it because India have a good captaincy option in him after Rohit Sharma is done.
“Rahane must make runs, after which the whole lot else will comply with,” Jaffer told media during an interaction organised by Jio Cinema on Friday.
Jaffer said the Indian selectors see a strong captaincy option in Rahane.
“If his kind was nice from that Australia collection after that 36 all-out, the way in which he led, scored 100 in Melbourne… had his kind remained the identical, he would have been the subsequent Test captain. But he misplaced his kind and bought dropped,” he said.
“However, he reinvented himself within the IPL and bought an opportunity within the WTC last. He was appointed the vice-captain as nicely, as a result of the Indian selectors see a superb chief in him. He nonetheless has age on his facet however he wants to attain runs, if he doesn’t then he’ll discover it tough,” he added.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s return to the Test team will also be challenging, according to Jaffer, because the new WTC cycle of 2023-25 will focus on younger players.
“As far as Pujara is worried, I really feel it will likely be slightly tough going ahead,” the former India opener said.
“You even have to start out trying on the new boys for the subsequent World Test Championship cycle. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant will come again. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been profitable. (Shubman) Gill will play in all three codecs. I really feel it will likely be tough for Pujara to make a comeback.”
Jaffer, who played 31 Tests and two ODIs for India and holds multiple domestic records, believes Gill will need to learn the craft of batting at No 3, particularly on slow and low wickets.
“Looking on the larger image, he desires to bat there for an extended interval. But the beginning has not been the way in which he needed.
“In this Test match and in this innings, he had a good chance, the wicket was good, (the team) had got a good start. I felt he played a little loose and he obviously will be disappointed with that dismissal, and that is where he needs to tighten up. He likes the ball coming on to the bat, because of so much of white-ball cricket he is used to hitting on the rise,” he mentioned.
“He wants that pace which is found in white-ball cricket. But in red-ball cricket, on wickets like these, probably in India when he plays, it is not easy to play on the rise. He just needs to understand that and improve his game for those conditions.”
Jaffer acknowledged that Jaiswal has had a improbable begin to Test cricket, which many gamers can solely dream of.
“It has been a dream start, there is no doubt about it. Anyone getting 170 (171) in his debut innings and following it up with a fifty (54) is a dream start that anyone would wish to have. He is on the right track, I have known him from 2013-14 since he used to work with Jwala Singh (coach) and I was also involved,” he mentioned.
When requested about India’s T20 squad for the West Indies collection, Jaffer expressed astonishment on the inclusion of Umran Malik.
“I am surprised with Umran Malik’s selection. We have seen him concede a lot of runs in T20 cricket. He is more suited to Test or one-day cricket. He needs to learn the art of T20 cricket. I do not think he is ready for T20 cricket.”
(With inputs from PTI)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com