JOIN USWhen Ajinkya Rahane made 102 in the second innings of the opening Test against West Indies in Antigua, the relief and joy was writ large on his face. It was the end of a harrowing two-year phase in his life.
Since a match-winning 132 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 2017, the vice-captain had gone 17 Test matches without a hundred until the one at North Sound. He also had eight single-digit scores and 10 innings inside 20 runs.
For someone considered to be one of the pillars of the India’s middle-order, especially overseas, it’s a poor run to say the least. But puzzlingly, during that struggling stretch he had six half-centuries, including one in the first innings at Antigua. For critics and the team management, it was a paradox. Was he in form or out of form? In fact, even Rahane didn’t know what was happening to him.
As voices grew over his mixed returns and a new kid on the block Hanuma Vihari began to establish himself, Rahane knew he had to break the century drought and inject consistency at the earliest. The failed effort in the first innings (81) hurt him and the 31-year-old summoned all his concentration to finally reach the three-figure mark in the second essay.
“First thing, the question about when am I going to get hundred is now over,” Rahane told the media on Monday following a training session.
“I’m feeling relieved. I believe that each and every match, series teaches you so much. Look, when I was selected for the Indian team then I had to wait for almost two years and 17 Test matches to actually make my debut. And I had to wait for 17 Test matches to score another Test century. During these 17 Test matches, I was batting well but not getting hundreds. I was thinking about the century and it was going away from me.
“So when I went into bat in Windies I told myself that I am not going to think about a hundred and I am going to enjoy batting.”
Rahane said he didn’t do anything different technically and was just looking to stay in the moment. “It was important for me to stay in my zone. See, when you are score runs, when you do well, from the outside it looks very easy.
“You can actually see that as a batsman I’m in very good position. What was important for me was to stay in my zone and believe in my ability. I wasn’t thinking too much about the technical stuff. It was all about how I managed the mental adjustments. That was the key in West Indies.”
While relieved, Rahane is taking nothing for granted and believes he needs to start anew in the series against South Africa.
“I am looking to stay in the moment, stay in the present. That is what I did in the West Indies as well as I knew many things were going on before that series. What was important for me was to stay in the moment, believe in my ability and look to contribute to the team so that I don’t put too much pressure on myself. Again what happened in the West Indies is past again. It is important to start afresh. So I’m looking to stay in the present and keep contributing.”
Last time South Africa visited India, they were pummelled 3-0, undone by the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. With South Africa going through a massive rebuilding phase following the retirement of some illustrious players like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn, they appear ripe for the taking. Rahane though refused to accept Indians are the overwhelming favourites. “Important thing is to win the matches and win the series. Because of the ICC Test Championship, you cannot take any team for granted because points system are important. I think it is important to respect your opposition. Faf (du Plessis) is an experienced customer, (Temba) Bavuma is a good player. He did well in the practice game and so did (Aiden) Markram. It is important to respect and play our game because we know the conditions really well and play as a unit and focus on our strength.”