Exclusive | 'Ajinkya Rahane should've played 100 Tests, deserved a better send-off': Pravin Amre

Ajinkya Rahanes former coach Pravin Amre believes the former India star deserved a better sendoff after the 38yearold announced his retirement from international cricket through a video posted on social media In an exclusive interview with middaycom Amre revisited Rahanersquos cricketing journey and his future prospectsAmre said the veteran batter deserved a farewell on the field in front of fans after representing India in 85 Test matchesAjinkya deserved a better sendoff Every player dreams of getting a respectful sendoff on the ground and I think Ajinkya deserved it too for his contribution to Indian cricket He should have played 100 Test matches for India Amre saidWhen asked if he knew about Rahanes decision to retire Amre said they had briefly discussed it and admitted that deciding to retire is one of the toughest decisions any player has to makeYes we did talk about it recently Rahanes retirement Taking a call on retirement is always difficult for any player after representing India for so many years But I feel proud to be associated with him for over 18 years Said AmrelsquoProud of the way Ajinkya handled his careerrsquoLooking back at Ajinkya Rahanes career Amre praised his mental strength saying the former India batter endured several difficult phases but always found a way to fight back into the teamOverall I am proud of the way he handled his career It was a difficult start for him in international cricket but his mental ability to come back from a tough period and go on to play 85 Test matches for India is commendableAmre also praised Rahanes record in the SENA South Africa England New Zealand Australia countries where Indian batters have historically struggled Rahane scored centuries in Australia England and New Zealand In South Africa his highest score is 96His record in the SENA countries is incredible The hundred at Lords was one of the best knocks I had ever seen Also the series win as a captain in Australia especially when the team was down after being all out for 36 in the first Test To then lead from the front and score a hundred and guide the team to a series win on Australian shores was a special achievementAmre also praised Rahanes humility saying he would miss Rahane the person more than Rahane the playerHe is like a role model for young kids growing up Despite achieving incredible success on the international stage captaining the Test team to a series win away from home he remained humble and always stayed grounded I will miss Ajinkya the human being more than Ajinkya the playerRahane never had the support of the system claims AmreWhen asked about Rahanes chances of making a comeback to the struggling Indian Test team before announcing his retirement Amre said the veteran batter never had the support of the system and always earned his place on meritAjinkya never had the support of the system he always relied on his own performances and became a Test cricket stalwart for India on his own merit He never expected people to go out of the way to help him He did everything on his own merit and reaped rewardsAmre said he saw early signs of Rahanes brilliance when the batter scored a century on his debut match for Mumbai against PakistanI always knew he would become a big player His first match for Mumbai was away to Pakistan and he scored a century in that match Playing for Mumbai is enormous pressure for any player but Ajinkya always handled it well He earned his place in the Indian side by scoring over 5000 runs in five years playing for MumbaiSpeaking on Rahanes future after retirement Amre said he would love to see the former India batter take up coaching and guide the next generation of cricketersI would love to see Rahane stay in and around cricket after retirement I think he could be a great coach as he has got the temperament to guide young cricketers going forwardWhen asked whether Rahane had earned his place among the greats of Mumbai cricket Amre gave a resounding yesA player who has captained India in Test cricket played over 80 Test matches and contributed to so many wins is definitely among the Mumbai stalwarts He was a silent warrior who kept on scoring runs and helping his team win Amre concludedWith over 5000 Test runs and 85 Test caps to his name Rahane has undoubtedly earned his place among the Mumbai stalwarts who have taken Indian cricket to new heights