Ajinkya Rahane says that it is “laughable” how others took credit for his decisions during India’s historic series win against Australia in 2020/21.

The Test series was an instant fightback, featuring an extraordinary fightback from the tourists. India were bowled out for 36 at Adelaide to slump to a 1-0 deficit, and were without their regular skipper Virat Kohli from the second Test onwards, with the side plagued by injuries throughout the tour.

Rahane, the stand-in captain, led from the front with a century in the next game, helping India to a win in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. India would draw the Sydney Test in thrilling style before grabbing a brilliant victory at the Gabba to win the series 2-1.

Conversation swirled around what had sparked India’s dramatic reversal. India’s then fielding coach R Sridhar gave full credit to Ravi Shastri, head coach at the time, for transforming the side’s attitude. Shastri is said to have told the side after the Adelaide debacle to “wear this 36 like a badge on your sleeves and you will be a great team.” He also credited Kohli as having played a crucial role in the backstage planning before the MCG Test.

On Backstage with Boria, Rahane was asked if the fact that he wasn’t given due credit for India’s win Down Under hurt him. Rahane began by stating that it wasn’t in his nature to talk about his achievements.

“I know what I have done there. I don’t need to tell it to anyone,” he said. “It is not in my nature to go and take credit. Yes, there were some calls that I took on the field, or in the dressing room, but someone else took credit for my decisions. [It was] important for me that we won the series, and that was the historical series. For me that was really special.”

He added that he felt it was laughable to see others taking credit for his calls.

“The credit which was taken later or came in the media, wherein people claimed that they had taken certain calls. This is what they wanted to say, but I knew what decisions I took on the field, which instinctive decisions were mine, and which calls were mine,” he said. “Yes, we did talk to the management. But I knew from inside…I sometimes found it laughable that what I did inside [was being claimed by others]. I don’t talk about myself or praise myself, but I knew from the inside that those calls were mine.”