Sometimes, winning is easy, but what truly defines a person is how they handle that win and how respectful they are to their competitors and Ajinkya Rahane just proved to be the most humble and respectable person in that regard.

Proud to be a part of this unit 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/bZZupXEAfE

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) January 19, 2021

The cricketer was, of course, leading the Indian cricket team in the absence of captain Virat Kohli and he was instrumental in Team India's victory against Australia in this historic test series.

Thank you everyone for sending across all your good wishes
It’s your constant support and belief in the team that kept us motivated to bring the trophy back home🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/koPpqcW1VW

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) January 20, 2021

The entire country is celebrating, but no more than the players themselves who made this win possible, and well, rightfully so. Everyone's finally reaching India after months in Australia and they're being welcomed back with so much love and appreciation.

Rahane returned to a grand welcome and a special cake was made for him in his honour. 

The cake looked like a cricket pitch with a kangaroo sitting on top of it holding the Indian flag.

© Twitter

While the cake seemed like a genuinely great gesture for his victory, he still refused to cut it. Why, you ask?

Well, out of respect for his opponents, of course. Since the Kangaroo is the national animal of Australia, and the Australian team is often referred to as the Kangaroos, he thought it wouldn't be appropriate to cut the animal on top of the cake. 

So wholesome, this is why cricket is called the gentlemen's game.

The whole incident was telecasted on a Marathi news channel, TV9 Marathi.

Very inspiring.

Great gesture @ajinkyarahane88!
Your simplicity, humbleness, sportsmanship & dignity is very inspiring. pic.twitter.com/BHdXC3zC6f

— Dipanshu Kabra (@ipskabra) January 21, 2021

So wholesome.

That lady was telling 'Cut the Kangaroo' but he politely declined

— AKshay M Wagh (@wakshay29) January 21, 2021

What is that picture, though?

Ajinkya Rahane refused to cut cake with kangaroo on top of it.

If I could calculate respect for him it would be more than SENSEX these days...

#AjinkyaRahane pic.twitter.com/IVzdJgDeQ3

— चमन Prawn 🦐 (@MachaliFry) January 21, 2021

He did cut a non-kangaroo cake!

In this covid time they are celebrating with cutting cake
Imagine the grand welcome to Team India if it was a normal day@ajinkyarahane88 @ImRo45@imShard @PrithviShaw pic.twitter.com/6OR3glioYp

— 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒎𝒚𝒂 (@Soumya401) January 21, 2021

Rahane, who was expected to pull out miracle victories with a struggling Team India in the absence of Virat Kohli, turned out to be an absolute wizard as the captain.

© Reuters

Team India defeated Australia in the fourth and final Test of the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the infamous ‘Gabba Fortress’, the stadium in which the hosts hadn’t lost a single Test match in the last 33 years.

© Reuters

And contrary to what happens in most of the white-ball matches, this series win was not the result of the efforts put in by anyone or two “in-form” players. 

It was truly a cohesive effort by the deep talent pool of Indian cricket that made this remarkable journey come to such an elite conclusion.

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