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All-weather man Rahane relishes personal milestone
KINGSTON: Batting at No.5 has always been considered a thankless job. One is more or less resigned to partners being unpredictable tail-enders. And there remains
KINGSTON: Batting at No.5 has always been considered a thankless job. One is more or less resigned to partners being unpredictable tail-enders. And there remains this pressure to score quickly and not think about personal gains, like a century. Ajinkya Rahane has adapted to this reality with mixed returns. He got a century at Lord’s and Melbourne but missed out on a deserving one at Fatullah. Kingston was more kind to him.
“I was not thinking about my hundred. When (Amit) Mishra and (Mohammed) Shami got out, I told Umesh Yadav to play normal cricket. Just give your 100% whether defending or playing a shot. When I was on 84-85, I wanted to play normal cricket but the off spinner (Roston Chase) brought his long off in and I wanted to clear the fielder. When I was on 95, I just told him ‘play normal cricket and once I get my hundred we’ll play some shots’,” Rahane said after Day 3 on Monday.
TEAM FIRST
Players celebrating personal records in a team game are not frowned upon, but they are also taught not to openly crave it. They are raised on the ethic of putting the team ahead of self. Milestones, though, are cherished and Rahane, despite his cool exterior, was no different. In one breath, he summarised the contradictions faced by a batsman --- he doesn’t think about getting a hundred, but that would be special if achieved.
“I was disappointed with the way I got out in the first Test,” Rahane said. “I think about the small things that are helpful for me. At the same time scoring a hundred here is special.”
Rahane is so good that if he is selfish, he can convert every fifty into a century. With tight defence and attacking strokes, he can be an ideal No.3, but perhaps it’s better Rahane doesn’t bat there. He has already got a century at No.7, in Wellington of all places.
EVER DEPENDABLE
That makes Rahane the allweather man for India. This century only enhances his reputation. He puts in long hours, never misses even an optional training and is always keen to polish his technique. He did the same before the Jamaica Test. “I was just looking to get my rhythm back and play some basic shots. Instead of playing in the ground, because it was a bit soft, I preferred to go to the nets to get my footwork and rhythm right,” he said.
This wasn’t the most gracious innings Rahane has played. There were shots born of frustration. Sometimes he rode his luck, and he was also given a life. But nothing deterred him from scoring as much as he could for India. If a century comes along, he will take it. But he won’t hanker after it.
