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I am confident of playing the World Cup: Ajinkya Rahane


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https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/i-am-confident-of-playing-the-world-cup-ajinkya-rahane/story-qOgYh7nRnUUlHukfeHMXkM.html

 

After the Test series win against West Indies, India’s next big assignment will be against Australia when the team travels down under later this month. The bowlers, especially the pacers, hold a lot of importance on Australian pitches, as there is minimal lateral movement on offer and hence, maintaining sustained pressure is very important.

Indian vice-captain identified Jasprit Bumrah as India’s X-factor and said that he was a dangerous bowler who has the ability to get wickets anytime.

Also, he named Umesh Yadav as the fastest bowler in the world currently.

The Indian team led by captain Virat Kohli has been putting a lot of emphasis on fitness and the yo-yo test has become mandatory before a player is selected for the side across all formats.

“Yo-yo test is helping us set the benchmark not only in batting and bowling but also in fielding. Yes, the results and the test do matter in a positive way,” Rahane said at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival.

Despite having a good IPL record, Rahane is not currently out of India’s limited-overs squad, but the right-hander is confident of making a comeback and playing in the World Cup.

“I am confident of making a comeback and I am confident of playing the World Cup. That is why I played domestic cricket because it helped me and i am sure I will bounce back,” Rahane said.

Young Prithvi Shaw, who has made a smashing start to his Test career by winning the man of the series award in his first sojourn against West Indies, will be the primary focus when India play in Australia. Rahane, who has known him from close quarters in Mumbai, wants the young man to believe in his abilities.

“Just believe in your abilities and keep doing what he is doing,” he said.

India were scheduled to play a pink-ball Test match in the upcoming Australia tour, but the BCCI refused the proposal owing to doubts over the quality of the pink ball. Rahane belives the varying weather patterns is a big factor in playing day-night Test matches in India.

 

“I think it depends on the weather of a country and the kind of wickets you get there. In India there is dew in the evening so that will tilt the balance in favour of a team. So, there are several factors involved,” he assessed.

So, what should be done to maintain the charm of the longest format so that the players continue to value its worth?

“Well, we need to reward performance in domestic cricket a lot more. Need to highlight individual performances in 4-day games. That will ensure the charm of Test cricket remains,” the Mumbai-man added.

India’s Test batting depends a lot on the engine room which consists of Cheteshwar Pujara at number 3, Virat Kohli and 4, and Rahane at 5. The vice-captain believes that Pujara has the skill sets to be successful across all formats and that one needs to be confident in their abilities.

“He has played several run a ball knocks in Tests also. I don’t think he would have ever thought that he could be a more attacking batsman. He has a skill which others don’t have and a lot of people would want to be like him. Easier for a batsman with patience to start playing shots but an aggressive player finds it difficult to curb his instincts. Need to have ability in yourself. Doesn’t matter what others say about you,” Rahane said.

After a prolific couple of years in 2015 and 2016, there has been a dip in his form in the recent past, and there were also murmurs about his place being in question, but according to Rahane it was just a phase and that he had be mentally strong.

“Sometimes there is a phase where you score a 20 or a 30 and you feel I can get a big one but your mind goes in the future and things change. It is important to stay in the present and keep mentally strong. A lot of people come to give you sympathy when things don’t work out but you need to keep such people way and not think of negative things,” Rahane said.

“It hurts when you are not doing well as you want to do well for the team. I was disappointed when dropped in South Africa but I wanted to stay focused and looked at Johannesburg as a great opportunity. And my 48 on that pitch was as good as a century,” he added.

The Indian team has often been criticised for tweaking their playing XI a lot, and plenty of questions has been posed to the team management, of which Rahane is also a part. However, the vice-captain says that the decisions are based purely on the conditions on offer and what is best for the team.

 

“I think sometimes the surfaces keep changing and the team management takes a call based on the conditions and the opposition. We just want to focus on the team management’s decision and don’t care about what is being said outside,” he said.

 

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Australian bowling is strong, but India favourites: Ajinkya Rahane

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/australia-bowling-is-strong-but-india-favourites-ajinkya-rahane/story-AZeXPu7nvalcg0Ae2CGsKK.html

 

“ The Australian team is definitely unpredictable, even with the absence of Warner and Smith. I think we are favourites for the Australia tour but when a team plays at home they know the conditions well. Australia’s bowling is very strong and it will be a good tour,” he said at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival.

 

“In South Africa, we hardly got any time. As a team, we feel we need 10 to 15 days before the start of the series and in Australia, we are getting that time and playing a 4-day match,” Rahane said.

Amidst the ongoing debate over the health and future of Test cricket, Rahane said that parents should bring children along with them and players should interact with them to create more awareness.

“The way Indian team has played Test cricket in the last two years, people have been coming to watch us. I think school children should be brought in and made to interact with players and give them refreshments. That will help create awareness about cricket. Like in England and Australia kids are brought to the ground and made to play interactive games, we should do that here. Also, create contests and winners should be allowed to meet players. Need to win over the young and new fans for Test cricket to survive and flourish,” India’s Test vice-captain assessed.

The inaugural Test Championship will start in July 2019 and finish with a final, scheduled to take place in June 2021. It will feature nine of the twelve Test-playing nations. It has been proposed to give more importance to Test cricket and add context to every match which is being played. There have also been suggestions made to divide the teams into 2 tiers in order to get more competitiveness in matches and get rid of one-sided affairs.

 

“Don’t want to comment on that but every team goes through a transition and right now some teams like West Indies are going through the same. Don’t want to compare. But all teams are good,” Rahane said.

 

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think your test spot is gonna go

rahul

shaw

kohli

sharma

vihari/ nair/ gill 

pant/ karthick

pandya/ jadeja

shami

ishant

bhuvi

bumrah

 

18 th man rahane . pujara somewhere in between 1 and 20 depending if he doesnt get run out( 1st of he gets rahane run out)

Edited by mani sha
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India's top 3 some of the best in the world and in great form, couple of potentially very good top order players like Rahul and Shaw on the sidelines, and Rahane who is a top order batsman and who has never been a very good LOI player even in his best form is confident of somehow playing in the World Cup which is about 15 games away.

 

And he also believes Pujara has the skill sets to be an all format player.

 

Okay.

 

Edited by philcric
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http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/25166913/how-ajinkya-rahane-put-hurt-take-chance-hero

Sorry but Rahane is biggest goof ball. This guy is talking about South Africa forgetting the fact he didn’t do anything for whole series in England where he played all tests.

What about the hurt you are causing/caused Indian team by your useless batting.


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