Goa, July 30 -- Every cricketer has a defining chapter, and for Ajinkya Rahane it came during India's remarkable 2020-21 Test tour of Australia. After India's humiliating 36 all out in Adelaide and Virat Kohli's departure on paternity leave, the series appeared lost. As stand-in captain, Rahane urged his teammates to move on from the setback, focus on one Test at a time and believe in themselves.

He backed those words with a composed century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground despite battling a painful back spasm and surviving two dropped chances. His knock revived India's campaign, paving the way for a draw in Sydney and the famous victory at the Gabba, where India sealed one of the greatest overseas Test series triumphs in its history.

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