Rahane's elevation to Test VC shocking: Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly finds it extremely baffling that Ajinkya Rahane has been handed Test vice captaincy after spending nearly 18 months on the sidelines as the former India skipper demanded "consistency and continuity" in the selection process. Rahane, 35, was out of favour for one-and-a-half years but was India's best batter in the World Test Championship final against Australia, with scores of 89 and 46 at the Oval, earlier this month. Just one Test old after making a come back, the national selection committee headed by interim chief Shiv Sunder Das re-appointed Rahane as Rohit Sharma's deputy for the West Indies Test series. So was it not ideal to groom someone like Shubman Gill for the role? "Yeah I think so," Ganguly told PTI during an exclusive interaction from London.

While he didn't term Rahane's ascendancy as a step backward, he didn't term it as a pragmatic decision. "I won't say it's a step backward. You have been out for 18 months, then you play a Test and you become a vice-captain. I don't understand the thought process behind it. There is Ravindra Jadeja, who has been there for a long time and a certainty in Test matches, he is a candidate." "....but to just come back and straightway become vice-captain after 18 months, I don't understand. My only thing is that selection shouldn't be hot and cold. There has to be continuity and consistency in selection," Ganguly, one of India's finest Test captains, said.

The World Test Championship final is always slated after two months of IPL and there is a school of thought that BCCI should speak to IPL franchises in order to monitor workload of players. Ganguly, who has been on both sides of the fence feels it is not a practical solution. "I don't agree with this theory. Ajinkya Rahane also played IPL and he played very well during IPL and World Test Championship final. So I don't believe in this theory. Some of the Australian boys (Cameron Green, David Warner), played well in IPL also and did well in World Test Championship." "After IPL finished, there was enough time to acclimatise to Test cricket.

They went to England and they played. It used to happen in the past. You played ODI cricket and you played Test cricket, things used to happen very, very quickly and so I don't believe it's an issue. So I believe that even if you play IPL, you should have the ability to adjust your technique and temperament and do well in a Test match."