Ajinkya Rahane had a fair idea that a question about his indifferent form would pop up and he was ready to meet the challenging delivery head on with a never-seen-before aggression.

Skipper Virat Kohli, after the 227-run defeat to England in the opening Test, had vehemently defended Rahane, who hasn’t scored too many runs before or after the Melbourne Test against Australia where his hundred enabled India to draw the series level.