When Ajinkya Rahane stepped into his new flat on Saturday, he was in for a 'life-size' surprise from his father.
Ajinkya Rahane was in for a big surprise when he stepped into his new home on Saturday. Well, when a life-size sketch of one of your trademark shots graces your abode, how else are you supposed to react? The 27-year-old India batsman, unarguably the most consistent over the past couple of years, had father Madhukar to thank for the new 'wallpaper'.
In the portrait, India's newest number three is seen playing a lofted drive, a shot as pleasing to the eye as it is effective. Interestingly, the sketch has its origins in a picture clicked during that scintillating, match-winning 103 Rahane scored at the Lord's Cricket Ground in 2014. When the rest were struggling against James Anderson & Co. on a grassy Day one pitch at the 'Home of Cricket', Rahane comfortably scored a century and guided India to a fighting total. It also saw him become the ninth Indian batsman and to find a place on the iconic 'Honours Board', and the first since Rahul Dravid in 2011.
"Ajinkya did not know about it and was pleasantly surprised to see the huge sketch on the wall," a close confidante of the batsman told dna on Sunday. According to the friend, Rahane Sr planned this surprise with his friend, Manish Parab, an artist who went to the prestigious Sir JJ School of Art. It took Parab just two hours to produce the canvas sketch which now occupies pride of place on the wall of the living room. The flat, one understands, is also in Mulund where the Rahanes have been living for the past few years. Facing the sketch are the batsman's trophies, placed neatly on a shelf.
"The family had planned to shift to their new home after Ajinkya's return from Sri Lanka. They did so on Saturday, an auspicious day (Janmashtami). Nobody in the Rahane household has stopped smiling because their dear boy scored a century at number three and, more importantly, helped India win the series 2-1," the friend added.
Rahane had a wonderful time in the island nation, where he became the first fielder in Test history to take eight catches in an innings. He did so in the first Test at Galle. The right-hander followed it up with a classy century (126) in the second Test at P Sara Oval. That he did so by batting at number three for the first time made the achievement all the more special.
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