Nathan Lyon snub "didn't come naturally" according to Australia's selectors
Spinner Nathan Lyon was left out of Australia's Test team for the first time in over a decade for the third Test against the West Indies in Barbados.
India batsman Ajinkya Rahane still eyeing Test comeback despite silence from selectors
Currently in London, the veteran batter has reiterated his commitment to the longest format - even though he says the selectors haven't responded to his attempts at communication.
"I still want to play Test cricket," Rahane told Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton in an interview with Sky Sports. "I'm really passionate about it. I'm enjoying my cricket at the moment and staying fit. Our domestic season is starting soon, so I've begun my preparations."
Despite the changing landscape of Indian cricket - with younger players now favored following the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - Rahane insists he's focused only on what he can control.
New captain Shubman Gill has taken over Kohli's No. 4 spot in the Test lineup, with Rishabh Pant cementing himself at No. 5. KL Rahul appears to be the lone senior player still in the selectors' Test plans. Amid this transition, Rahane continues to put in the work at the domestic level, determined not to let silence from the top shake his focus.
Since his last Test appearance, Rahane has led Mumbai in two consecutive Ranji Trophy seasons - lifting the trophy in 2023–24 and finishing runners-up the following year. He also captained Mumbai's title-winning Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 campaign.
In the 2024–25 Ranji season, he scored 467 runs in 14 innings at an average of 35.92, with one century and one fifty. Despite a lackluster year for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025 - where the team finished eighth - Rahane stood out as their top scorer with 390 runs at a strike rate of 147.27.
"Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but I got no response," Rahane admitted. "That's out of my hands. All I can do is keep playing cricket, keep enjoying the game, and give my best every time I walk out there. I love playing Test cricket - it's a passion. The love for the game keeps me going."
While his international future remains uncertain, Rahane's hunger to don the whites again is clear - and he's not ready to give up the fight just yet.
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