Ajinkya Rahane delivered a moving speech in dressing room after Gabba win

It was not about one or two individuals, says Ajinkya Rahane

A team's victorious campaign in any sport always demands an inspirational display of leadership. In the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which the injury-ravaged Indian team won by a margin of 2-1, Ajinkya Rahane filled in the shoes of the absentee regular captain Virat Kohli. And he proved that exceptional captaincy skills entwined with shrewdness and the occasional pat on the back are indeed present in his possession.

Read | Captaincy decoded: The saga of Rahane and Kohli

That is why Rahane's speech in a recent video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has garnered applause and reinforced the belief that he is a 'team man'. In the video, Rahane can be seen appreciating the effort of each individual throughout the Test series that saw them making a historic comeback after the humiliation of 36 all out in the first Test in Adelaide. He gave the speech after the Gabba Test win, in which India beat Australia by three wickets and ended the latter's 32-year unbeaten run on the ground known as 'Australia's fortress'

He can be heard saying, "This is a massive moment for all of us. What happened in Adelaide, how we came back from Melbourne onwards was really good to see. Everyone did their effort, everyone contributed, it was not about one or two individuals."

Not just the members of the playing eleven, he even mentioned Kuldeep Yadav and Kartik Tyagi, who did not feature in the Test series. Especially Kuldeep, being a somewhat experienced campaigner, must have been disheartened for missing out on the series. Rahane's words hopefully cheered him up.

He said, "I just want to mention Kuldeep Yadav and Kartik Tyagi. Kuldeep, I know it was tough for you, you did not play a game here but your attitude was really good. Your time will come, just keep working hard. Kartik you were fantastic."