Ready to roll for indore game

INDORE: Ajinkya Rahane has been a regular fixture in the India Test set-up for a while now. The same cannot be said when for ODIs. Playing as an opener in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, the 29-year-old made a solid 55 in the last one-dayer to help India recover from the early loss of Rohit Sharma. The right-handed batsman said that he does not think much about the future when it comes to retaining his spot.

“I don’t think about the future. I try to do my best whenever I get opportunities. I always think about staying in present. What is going to happen in future, we don’t know. To me, the best thing is to stick to my game plan, and try to do my best for the team if I get opportunities,” Rahane said on Saturday.

Considering Dhawan’s stupendous form and the fact that the Delhi lad will probably return to the squad for the last two matches, a competitor would most probably be compelled to score runs in abundance. But, that is not the way this batting machine works. “Every time you step on to the field, you cannot score a hundred. My perception is that even if I score a crucial 45, that is what matters. When Shikhar comes, none of us know what’s going to happen. For me, what I do for my team today is important.”

Rahane revealed that a few words from Sachin Tendulkar just before the series helped him a lot. “He told me to back my game. He talked about the mental aspect of it. He did not tell me anything specific about my technique, but told me to be mentally prepared. Since he has played so much against Australia, he spoke to me about the lengths they generally bowl at. Those words gave me a lot of confidence,” the Mumbai batsman said. Rahane was also of the opinion that there was fluidity in the squad and that “anyone can bat at any position.”

Off the field, the cricketer makes sure to visit the centuries-old Khajrana Ganesh Temple every time he visits the city. Saturday was no exception. “I have fond memories of Indore since my domestic days. When I come here, I make sure that I visit the temple.” He had smashed his highest Test score of 188 against New Zealand on this very ground in October last year. A similar effort may help him secure the elusive secure ODI spot.

1
A triumph in Indore will help India jump from second to the top of ODI rankings, displacing
South Africa.

9
A victory in Indore will see India equal their best run of back-to-back victories in one-dayers (9: From November 2008 to February 2009).

4.14
Virat Kohli’s win-loss ratio as captain in ODIs. Amongst all skippers to have headed a team at least 20 times in ODIs, his ratio is the best.

vishal@newindianexpress.com