India, July 30 -- A little over three years since he played the last of his 85 Tests, Ajinkya Rahane called time on his international career in typical Rahane fashion - without pomp or fanfare, with an almost wraith-like anonymity that characterised most of his time in the Indian side.

Rahane was a fantastic stroke-maker in his own right and a fabulous student of the game whose man-management skills came bursting to the surface during the dramatic tour of Australia in 2020-21. But for most of his career, Rahane performed under the giant shadows of Virat Kohli and to a lesser extent Cheteshwar Pujara even though in terms of sheer impact if not presence, he was in no way inferior to either of his right-handed peers.

Some might wonder abou...