With India having made a remarkable comeback at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Boxing Day Test against Australia, in the absence of three of their senior players including Virat Kohli and pacer Umesh Yadav limping off midway through the match with calf pain, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane stands a chance of equalling an elusive feat in Indian cricket history, achieved previously by only one other captain.
The MCG win of eight wickets helped Rahane maintain his 100 per cent winning streak as a skipper although in only three Tests - against Australia by eight wickets in Dharamsala 2016/17, and against Afghanistan by innings & 262 runs in Bengaluru 2018 being the other two.
India are now scheduled to face Australia in the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting January 7. If Rahane-led India win the SCG Test, he will become the second Indian skipper after MS Dhoni to have won his first four Test games as a skipper.
Dhoni, who made his captaincy debut in the format in 2008, led India to victories against South Africa in Kanpur, Australia in Mohali and Nagpur, and England in Chennai. His streak ended with a draw against England in Mohali, although he remained unbeaten until February 2010 when India lost to South Africa in 2010, stretching over 10 Tests of which three ended in a draw and it included a 1-0 win in New Zealand.
The SCG win will also help India retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy that they had claimed in the 2018/19 tour Down Under, their maiden Test series win on Australian soil. Adding to that, India will have the opportunity to go atop in the ICC World Test Championship while consolidating their chances to reclaim the No.1 spot in ICC Test rankings.
