Key is to remain three steps ahead of the opposition: Ajinkya Rahane

Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has been phenomenal in the longest format of the game and is considered one of the most consistent performers for India with the bat.

Rahane has a great overseas record and this will be the time for him to get into the thick of things at home as India is heading forward to as many as 13 Test matches in this season. However, he doesn’t want to look too far ahead, and said that his current focus is only on the upcoming New Zealand series.

“I know I have a job at hand but I never set targets beforehand. I believe setting targets takes you too much into future. Looking too far ahead can clutter your mind. Instead, I like taking each day as it comes. Right now, the focus will be on New Zealand series,” Rahane was quoted by PTI.

Talking about his preparations ahead of the series, Rahane said, “I always discuss my batting with my childhood coach Praveen Amre. It won’t be any different this time also. Obviously, the preparations for each series is slightly different. But obviously, you never reveal your strategy before the series starts. The key is to always remain three steps ahead of the opposition,”

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He also believes that the Black Caps have a good bowling attack and they have to keep their guard on. “It’s a decent attack. They have Trent Boult, also good spinners like Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi. We can’t let our guard down.”

Never tinkered with the weight of my bats:

In the recent past, there has been a lot of talks about the use of big, heavy bats and we also have heard about players using different weighted bats across different formats. However, Rahane said that he always uses a bat with the same weight. “Whether it’s Melbourne or Mumbai, I have never tinkered with the weight of my bats. It’s always been same irrespective of bounce in various pitches across the globe.”

He had a good series against West Indies, with the bat as well as on the field. He scored 243 runs including a century and a half-century in the Test series. “I always strive to improve and I am satisfied with my performance in the Caribbean. I had prepared specially to face the Dukes red ball. It is different to play red Dukes than kookaburra as the ball seams and swings more than other balls. For that you need to play close to the body and as late as possible. That was my endeavour and I was happy with my execution. It would have been great had we won 3-0 but you can’t control the weather,” said Rahane.

The tour of West Indies was the first stint for India under Anil Kumble and Rahane praised his passion for the game. “He has been phenomenal with his inputs. He has left international cricket for nearly 8 years but nothing seems to have changed. His passion is unmatched. He has an eye for every minute detail. He told me that I am doing well and the key to consistency is focussing on routines,” he said.

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