Three Australian bowlers who have repeatedly dismissed Rahane in Test format

Ajinkya Rahane is certainly the valued wicket for Australian bowlers in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's remaining two Tests. The stand-in skipper has scored a match-defining ton in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test. His brilliant performance helped the visitors square the series 1-1.

Rahane has scored 4384 runs in the 67 Test matches at a decent average of 43.4 so far. The 32-year-old has aggregated 1003 runs in 15 Tests against Australia at an average of 40.12.

Eight Australian bowlers have scalped Ajinkya Rahane's wicket in Test cricket till date. The right-handed batsman has been dismissed by Steve O'Keefe and Pat Cummins twice. He has also once dismissed each by Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson.

Let's have a look at the three Australian bowlers who have accounted for Ajinkya Rahane's wicket most times in Test cricket.

3. Mitchell Starc - 3 times

In 2017, Mitchell Starc first picked up Rahane's wicket in the second innings of the second Test in Bengaluru. His second dismissal again came in the first innings of the fourth Test in Sydney in January 2019. Tim Paine caught Rahane behind the wickets after scoring 18 runs.

Starc once again got the better of Ajinkya Rahane in the first innings of the pink-ball Test in the ongoing series. The stand-in skipper was caught in front of the wicket off the second new ball. He scored 42 runs in the first innings.

The 32-year-old has an impressive record against Mitchell Starc in the purest format of the game. He has scored 148 runs against the pacer at an average of 49.33.

2. Josh Hazlewood - 5 times

Josh Hazlewood first picked up Rahane's wicket in the second Test in Brisbane in December 2014. Rahane scored 81 runs in that innings. Hazlewood again scalped Rahane's wicket in the second innings of the same series next Test match. The Australian bowler has dismissed the right-handed batsman five times so far. 

Ajinkya Rahane's latest dismiss against Hazlewood during the second innings of the ongoing series pink-ball Test. Rahane has scored 152 runs against Josh Hazlewood in Test matches at an average of 30.4.

1. Nathan Lyon - 9 times

Ajinkya Rahane's first-ever dismissal in the format came at the hands of Nathan Lyon in March 2013. Lyon has dismissed Rahane on nine occasions till date. The spinner is the most successful bowler against Rahane in the most extended format. The stand-in Indian skipper has scored 308 runs against him at an average of 34.22.

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