India fortunate to have Rahane and Kohli in times when proactive captaincy is in short supply, feels Ian Chappell 

In the absence of Virat Kohli the leader and the batsman, India were supposed to feel a major vacuum but that was not the case as they emerged victorious in the Boxing Day Test. Just like Rohit Sharma is there as a strong deputy to Virat Kohli in limited-overs cricket, Rahane proved himself to be more than handy as a stand-in-skipper as he led from the front in the second Test. 

"At a time when aggressive, proactive international captaincy is in short supply, India are fortunate to have two leaders who both understand the value of taking wickets over containing the opposition," Ian Chappell wrote in his column on ESPN Cricinfo.

"It was no surprise that Ajinkya Rahane captained India flawlessly at the MCG; anyone who saw him in charge in Dharamsala in 2017 would have recognised a man born to lead cricket teams. There were a lot of similarities between that 2017 match and the one at the MCG. Firstly it was between the same two highly competitive rivals, then there was the valuable first-innings lower-order contribution from Ravindra Jadeja, and finally Rahane aggressively accumulating the required runs in a nervy pursuit of a moderate victory total." 

The former Aussie skipper termed Rahane as 'brave' and 'smart' and stated that he has won over his teammates with his imitable qualities. 

India's win at the 'G' wouldn't have been possible if not for a team effort. Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin delivered crucial punches for India while debutantes Siraj and Gill also played as if experienced players, taking no time to adjust to the top-level. Chappell praised them all for putting in credible performances in a pressure-cooker Test.  

"There was Jasprit Bumrah, excelling as usual at the MCG, ambushing batsmen regularly. R Ashwin, with his new-found confidence in Australian conditions, exerted his influence over Smith, a vital early wicket that further boosted India's confidence. Inspired by the seniors, the debutants, Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, made significant contributions as they adjusted quickly to Australian conditions," he said.

"This tantalising series is far from over. India still have concerns with yet another fast-bowling injury and an opening batsman in a quandary. However, despite coming off a disastrous collapse in Adelaide, along with the departure of their best batsman and the loss of two leading fast bowlers, India have fewer selection headaches than Australia. It's helpful that they have a strong, calm leader and a vibrant spirit that has built up under the Kohli-Rahane-Ravi Shastri coalition. If India do go on to repeat their last tour's success in Australia, the Mullagh medal won't be the only gong Rahane receives," Chappell concluded.