New Delhi, Aug. 2 -- Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this week, thus ending a 15-year journey with the Indian national team. With Rahane's retirement, it officially brought an end to the quartet of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, who all hanged their boots last year.

In an era that was dominated by superstars like Rohit and Virat, Rahane put on a memorable grind with the bat for years, quietly steering the newer generation of Indian cricket in a positive direction by setting an example with his patient, but long-term rewarding batsmanship and calm, composed and unflinchingly positive leadership.

One of the highlights of Rahane's India career came during the 2020-21 Australian tour...