Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that the upcoming Test series against New Zealand is going to be extremely important for Ajinkya Rahane who is “on thin ice” despite being named captain for the first match. Chopra said that Rahane’s main problem is his consistency throughout his career.

Notably, Rahane will be leading the Indian team in the first Test of the series in Kanpur, with Virat Kohli returning for the second Test. Rahane has played 40 Tests and scored 7 half-centuries and 3 tons since 2019. Earlier this year, he led India to a historic series win Down Under but failed to impress on the batting front.

“It is an important series for him. He is the captain (for the first Test) but, according to me, he is on thin ice. There is no doubt that he is a good captain. He was the leader when India won in Australia and he also scored a hundred in Melbourne. However, after that, his numbers slid. There has been an odd good performance here and there, but he has not had that big series. That has been the pattern of his entire career,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chopra further added that Rahane’s inconsistency has plagued him throughout his Test career.

“Ever after 70-odd Tests, his place in the team is under the scanner despite him being the vice-captain. The main problem with him is his consistency. Even in the Australia series, apart from the hundred, there was no meaningful score. In the home series against England as well, he had a good score. The story was the same when India went to England as he got that one fifty at Lord’s. He hasn’t scored 500 runs in a Test series yet, which should have happened by now,” Chopra added.