Ajinkya Rahane wants to be hailed as the world’s best batsman someday

Ajinkya Rahane, who scored hundreds in both innings against South Africa in Delhi, is a complete batsman who relishes scoring runs even under challenging conditions. In an interview he shed light on his evolution as a batsman, and the mental and technical adjustments he had to make while batting in India.

When asked about the importance of the twin hundreds at the Kotla he said, “These two hundreds were very special. It came in the venue where I had made my Tests debut. Since my debut was not memorable, I was eager to do well this time around. Being only the fifth player to achieve that..bahut badi baat hai,” as reported by The Indian Express.

“There was no pressure as such, but I just wanted to do well for my team. I didn’t want to get bogged down. I knew that since the one day series I was batting well. Even in Tests, I was in a good touch, but what was important was to spend more time at the crease. Before the Delhi Test, I remember having a 2-hour session with coach Sanjay Bangar. I just wanted to bat with discipline, and back by defense, especially while facing the spinners,” he explained when asked about the Kotla Test.

When asked about discipline and if it a mental or technical aspect and whether he trusted his defense earlier in the series or not, the Mumbaikar said, “It’s a mental thing and it was not that I didn’t have confidence in my defense. I was just playing my shots too early, and that’s where your discipline comes in. You tell your mind to wait for the right ball to play your shots.”

Expressing his feelings about his Test debut Rahane said, “I had come on the back of some prolific scores in domestic season. I remember when I went out to bat, Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji was at the other end. He just asked me to enjoy this moment. He told me to trust my preparation, my hardwork and back my instincts. Personally, it was a horrendous match for me. After the match, I spoke to Pravin Amre sir and we worked on thereafter. He opined that there was no fault in my batting, and added that I just had to spend more time at the crease.”

About his importance to the team in the middle order he said, “Obviously, it’s a challenge and I am enjoying the responsibility. When I go out to bat, I think that I’m the boss; I’m the man in-charge now…that does not mean that I’m overconfident. At the same time, respecting the situation is also important.”

“It is important to go step by step. There will be obstacles in life, but the important thing is to not take short cuts. By doing so, you will know how to deal in crunch situations. In the beginning, I started to open for the Mumbai Ranji team, and now I am batting in the middle-order. I have learnt from batting in all these positions. More than anything, it has made me mentally stronger,” were his views about having to wait for the India cap.

About his family values he said, “My family always tells me that whatever I have achieved in life is because of cricket. It is because of this game that you will be known everywhere. I will always carry that middle-class values. Off the field, I am a common guy like any other. My wife always tells me that no matter how famous I become, I must remain grounded. There are people who have played a crucial role in shaping my life. Be it Amre sir, Arvind Kadam sir or Vidya Padarkar sir. It’s because of them that I have managed to achieve success.”

About his good boy image compared to his other team mates and brand value he said, “Har ek character alag hota hai and we all are different personalities. Since childhood I was a shy guy. My wife keeps telling me that mujhe ab thoda aur bolna chahiye. If I take care of my cricket then my brand will also be taken care off. If I start thinking about my brand, I will lose focus.”

“It has helped me in improving my flexibility and fitness levels. I became mentally tough because of karate. I have not gone with numbers. Jab retire hoge tab numbers saamne aayenge. I want to carry on with the same momentum, so that I can be hailed as the world’s best batsman,” were his thoughts about his karate practicing days and the goals he wants to achieve in cricket.

“It is difficult to focus for six hours. So it is important to know when to switch off and on. Whenever fast bowlers are bowling, there will be constant chatter between me, Saha and Dhawan or Virat. Dhawan is a funny guy. He will come up with series of jokes, which helps us remain stress free and relaxed in slips,” he said when asked about standing in the slips with Shikhar Dhawan.

His views on batting with his Test skipper were, “Virat and I have been involved in several partnerships in the past, and our conversation is to help each other in crucial situations. Virat is someone who will keep giving me inputs. In Australia, once I had scored 20 odd, I felt I could dominate the bowling. Virat asked me not to worry and said he would give me support from the other end. Even in Delhi, he told me to bat as if I was batting at the nets. He told me to keep my mind blank and not think about situation.”

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