Gabba is one of the most dreaded destinations for any touring team when they travel to Australia. The fortress of Men in Yellow is one of the toughest venues to breach for any team. The Aussies are so confident about the Gabba that one of their captains sledged opponents asking them to come to Aus fortress. For over 3 decades, none of the teams were able to defeat Kangaroos at their fortress. Then came a young Indian side lead by the undefeated captain - Ajinkya Rahane and demolished the Aussie confidence at the venue.

The meaning of "Ajinkya Rahane" literally translates to remaining undefeated in his mother tongue Marathi. When his name suggests undefeated, how can his team be defeated when he is the leader !! The story of Gabba talks about one of the finest tales of resurrection. It speaks volumes of mental toughness shown by Rahane , who led his men to a test victory when no one were on their side.

Resurrection has been a part of Ajinkya's life, and he has always made sure that he is rising higher every time he falls. One has to be psychologically strong enough to lead the team by scoring a captains knock of 112 after facing a humiliating defeat in the previous match , and after taking the blame of running Virat Kohli out in the only test match the later was playing in the series. But Rahane did it, and he didn't just bring the life in the series, but he also brought the support and faith of Indian fans to the extent which eventually pumped the young team to pull out an historic test series win.

That's what is so special about Rahane. He performs when conditions are really tough. That is one of the reasons why the backbone of Men in Blue had scored hundreds in all of SENA countries , before he made a century in home conditions. Green top wickets, overcast condition and all the conditions favouring swing are tailor-made for Ajinkya Rahane. On occasions where most of the batters fail, it is Rahane who takes responsibility of carrying the team in Sena countries.

Another positive from Jinks is that he has the right intent. During an odi between India and South Africa at the Wankhede stadium, when India were given a target of 439 runs, it was only Rahane who was cruising with the required run rate when all the other batters succumbed to the massive total. Eventually he was dismissed for 87 runs as India lost the match, but his intent was noteworthy. Similarly in the very first match in this year's IPL, he thrashed Mumbai Indians bowlers for fun making his intentions clear. He had a lion's share in CSK winning the 5th title.

All in all, looking at all these qualities, and Rahane's previous record in English conditions, it wouldn't be a surprise to say that India will be heavily dependant on him for the WTC final. And he looks like a hungry lion who is raring to go and make the most of the opportunity given to him after 16 months when he is finally back to the position which he deserves. Kohli having an amazing Ipl, Gill in great touch, Pujara acclimatized to English conditions and Rahane in eager to roar back are all positives for Indian team .

Even today, after more than a decade being in the Indian side, the team still looks up to Rahane as a resource which would come to their rescue. That's what makes him so special. Splendid technique, amazing temparement, great leadership skills and a calm head over his strong shoulders makes him one of the most prolific players to have played the game of cricket. Apart from just being a great player, one continues to admire him even more because of the off field behaviour from him. His humility is well known, but his respect for the opponents sets him apart. Only a man like Ajinkya Rahane could refuse to cut a cake with the Aussie flag on it, post defeating them at their fortress pulling out a historic win because he deeply respects his opposition. But that's just how this man is. A champion player, and an amazing human being, this backbone of Indian team turns 35 today . We wish him a very happy birthday and wish to see him as a source of inspiration forever.

A small tribute to Ajinkya Rahane from the author