Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane flop show continues, memes galore, PURANE trends on Twitter

Ajinkya
Rahane’s
Last
20
Test
Innings:
10,
7,
27,
49,
15,
5,
1,
61,
18,
10,
14,
0,
35,
4,
48,
20,
0,
58,
9,
1

New
Delhi,
Jan
13:
After
slamming
composed
half-centuries
in
the
second
innings
of
Johannesburg
Test
last
week,
senior
India
batters
Cheteshwar
Pujara
and
Ajinkya
Rahane
once
again
disappointed
as
they
failed
to
make
an
impression
in
the
third
and
final
Test
against
South
Africa
at
Newlands,
Cape
Town.

In
the
second
innings
of
the
third
Test,
Pujara
was
dismissed
for
a
paltry
9
when
he
was
caught
at
leg
slip
by
Keegan
Petersen
in
the
first
over
on
day
three
of
the
series
decider.
Pujara
–
who
had
survived
a
quality
bowling
spell
in
the
final
session
on
day
two
–
failed
to
add
any
run
to
his
overnight
total
as
he
was
removed
by
young
Marco
Jansen
in
the
very
first
over
of
the
day’s
play.

He
thus
left
Team
India
in
the
lurch
as
the
visitors
lost
their
third
wicket
in
the
second
innings
with
just
57
runs
on
the
board.

Matters
soon
turned
worse
for
India
when
the
new-man-in
Ajinkya
Rahane
was
caught
behind
off
Kagiso
Rabada
in
the
very
next
over.
Rahane
had
added
just
one
run
to
his
total
before
feathering
the
ball
going
away
from
him
and
getting
ruled
caught
behind
via
DRS.

Rahane
–
who
scored
just
9
in
the
first
innings
–
made
his
descent
towards
the
pavilion
soon
after
the
giant
screen
on
the
pitch
confirmed
the
ball
actually
brushed
past
his
glove.

Rahane
scored
48
off
130
in
the
first
innings
of
the
Centurion
Test
and
managed
only
20
off
33
in
the
second
innings
of
that
Test,
which
Team
India
went
on
to
win.

In
the
second
Test,
Rahane
had
scores
of
0
and
58
which
the
tourists
ended
up
losing
by
7
wickets.
Although
the
right-handed
batsman
scored
a
composed
half-century
and
forged
a
partnership
of
111
runs
with
Pujara
–
who
scored
53
–
many
believed
that
the
Mumbaikar
would
have
to
follow
it
up
with
fine
performances.

former
India
batsman
Sanjay
Manjrekar
criticised
Rahane
during
the
second
Test
and
told
ESPNCricinfo,
“The
team
management
is
backing
Rahane.
India
have
won
the
first
Test,
and
Rahane
scored
48
runs
in
the
first
innings
as
well.
So
he
might
get
another
shot.
But
they
should
also
think
about
(Hanuma)
Vihari
and
Shreyas
Iyer.
The
more
chances
Rahane
gets,
the
fewer
chances
the
other
guys
will
have.
So
this
needs
to
be
discussed.”

“Pujara
and
Kohli’s
form
is
understandable
and
they
will
get
opportunities.
But
Rahane’s
poor
form
has
been
going
on
for
some
time
now.
So
there’ll
be
pressure
on
Rahane
to
keep
his
place
in
the
side,”
he
added.

Soon
after
Pujara
and
Rahane
departed
early
on
day
three
in
Cape
Town,
#PURANE
–
a
nickname
for
Pujara
and
Rahane
–
started
trending
on
Twitter.