Ajinkya Rahane opened up on his personal form with the bat, saying people will find runs if they look at his last 10-15 Tests.
India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane played down concerns over his batting form, saying people will find runs if they look at his last 10-15 Tests. Ajinkya Rahane also said that the Indian team is playing at home after two years, and the focus is always on the team not on any particular individual.
Ajinkya Rahane: India Are Playing At Home After 2 Years And It’s All About Team Bot Any Individual
Ajinkya Rahane stepped up as stand-in captain in Australia and hit a series-defining hundred in Melbourne but he has been inconsistent with the bat since then. 4, 22, 24, 37, 1, 0 have been his series of scores since that match-winning hundred in the 2nd Test against Australia in December 2020.
“We are playing at home after two years. It’s all about the team, not about any individual. If you look at my last 10-15 Tests, you will find some runs there,” Ajinkya Rahane said while speaking in the press conference ahead of 2nd Test vs England.
Ajinkya Rahane scored a solitary run across the two innings in the first Test against England in Chennai. The Indian vice-captain hasn’t breached the half-century mark in his last seven Test innings after scoring 112 runs in the 2nd Melbourne Test win in Australia.
The 32-year-old middle-order batsman flopped against New Zealand earlier in 2020 where he averaged only 22.75 in 2 Tests and apart from his 112, he couldn’t score another half-century in other Test matches in Australia as well.
Ajinkya Rahane Did Not Reveal Playing XI But He Feels Good To Have Axar Patel Fit
Ajinkya Rahane did not reveal the playing XI for the second Test against England but said that spinner Axar Patel’s fitness was good for the team.
“Every player is in the mix. Good to have Axar Patel fit. I’m not going to say who is going to play in the second Test. All our spinners are good and I’m sure they’re keen to do well,” Ajinkya Rahane added.
Shahbaz Nadeem had picked four wickets in all in the 1st Test but gave away 233 runs in 59 overs across two innings with an economy rate of close to 4 runs per over. And if that wasn’t enough, as a slow spin bowler, a total of nine balls at the Test match level is considered to be a major issue.
One expects allrounder Axar Patel, who is now match-fit, to replace him. India was outplayed in the first Test, losing to England by 227 runs.