NEW DELHI: India’s dependable middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane, who is known for his elegant batting style and solid technique, announced his comeback to Test cricket in style as he completed 5000 runs in Tests during the World Test Championships (WTC) final against Australia at the Oval in London on Friday.
The 35-year-old stood tall amidst ruins as he achieved the feat on Day 3 of the WTC final. Rahane, who needed 69 runs, raced to the milestone in his 83rd Test match.
The comeback-man Rahane became the 13th Indian to surpass the 5000-run mark in the list of top Indian run getters.

Rahane joined the likes of Kapil Dev (5248), Gundappa Viswanath (6080), Mohammad Azharuddin (6215), Dilip Vengsarkar (6868), Cheteshwar Pujara (7168*), Sourav Ganguly (7212), Virat Kohli (8430*), Virender Sehwag (8503), VVS Laxman (8781), Sunil Gavaskar (10122), Rahul Dravid (13265) and Sachin Tendulkar (15921).

In the process, Rahane registered his 26th fifty in Test cricket as he dispatched Aussie skipper Pat Cummins for a massive six over long leg to bring up his fifty in a spectacular fashion.
A 92-ball fifty showcased not only his controlled aggression but also his calm and composed demeanor on the field.

Rahane, who was dropped from red ball cricket in January 2022 after a series of inconsistent performances, made a fantastic return in the longest format of the game proving his haters wrong, displaying grace under pressure and contributing crucial runs in this important match.

Rahane’s transformation came in the recently concluded IPL 2023 where he scored 326 runs, including a top score of 71 not out, while turning up for champions Chennai Super Kings.