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‘Choose to Improve, Not Seek Sympathy’: Ajinkya Rahane Recalls Gruelling Journey to India Test Debut

Rahul Kumar | August 7, 2026 4:23 PM CST

Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending a celebrated career. Known for his resilience and for leading India to a historic series win in Australia, Rahane reflects on the two-year wait for his Test debut, which shaped his patient mindset.

Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after three years wait for a national comeback. After his last Test appearance against West Indies in July 2023, the veteran middle-order batter fell out of favour with the selectors, who apparently moved on from him and priortise young talents in the format.

Rahane’s retirement drew the curtains on India’s Test cricket golden era of resilient overseas performances, leaving behind a legacy as one of the country’s most dependable middle-order batters and a master of fighting knocks under pressure. The trio of Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli formed the bedrock of India's formidable middle-order batting line-up, winning overseas series, especially in Australia, where they won back-to-back Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Amassing over 5,000 Test runs, Ajinkya Rahane was known for his calm demeanour under pressure, famously stepping up to lead the team to a historic series victory in Australia during the 2020-21 tour following Virat Kohli's departure after the first Test.

Rahane’s Gruelling Two Years Await for a Test Cap

Following his retirement from his illustrious career, Ajinkya Rahane recalled the toughest phase of his early international journey, revealing that he had to spend two years as the 12th man before finally making his much-anticipated Test debut in 2013.

"The first two years, when I entered the team for the first time in 2011. I had to wait 20 games for my Test debut, and I was there as a 12th man for two years. That was a challenging phase, but I learnt a lot from it. I had two choices: either to gain sympathy or try to improve myself,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

“There is nothing bad about being a 12th man or serving water or helping your teammates. I took it positively. I would look at everything, and because of that, I could play for a long time. Observing helped my attitude and mindset. It would be easy to gain sympathy, but I never expected that," he added.

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When Ajinkya made his Test debut against Australia, receiving cap number 278 from Sachin Tendulkar in 2013, the likes of Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ishant Sharma were part of the squad, marking the beginning of an extraordinary chapter in Indian Test cricket.

Mumbai Local’s Example of Patience by Rahane

Further speaking on his wait for his Test debut, Ajinkya Rahane reflected on how patience became one of the defining qualities of his career, crediting Mumbai's local train journeys and his domestic cricket experiences for shaping his mindset.

“It was there from before, but it also developed as I kept playing and gained experience. I will not say I had so much patience right from the start. When you travel in a local train in Mumbai, it is challenging. So somewhere, patience develops right from there,” the 38-year-old said.

“When I started domestic cricket and kept scoring consistently, you unknowingly think that your name should come for India. And even I thought the same. But after talking to some senior players and over time, I realised it will happen when it has to happen. You do whatever is in your control. If you want to play for long, patience is important," he added.

In his Test career, Ajinkya Rahane has amassed 5077 runs, including 12 centuries and 26 fifties, at an average of 38.46 in 85 matches. In international cricket, the veteran Indian batter has amassed 8414 runs, including 15 centuries and 51 fifties, at an average of 35.95 in 195 matches.