Vikram Rathour Admits Ajinkya Rahane Needs To Score Big Runs In The Next Innings Of The 3rd Test

Vikram Rathour admitted that Ajinkya Rahane, the middle-order batsman needs to be scoring bigger knocks. Vikram Rathour also confirmed that a player like Ajinkya Rahane will be given one more chance than he deserves, seeing Ajinkya Rahane depart early once again in the ongoing 3rd Test against the Proteas.

Ajinkya Rahane scored a half-century in the second innings of the second Test against South Africa in a losing cause, but Ajinkya Rahane was back in the spotlight after incurring another early dismissal in the first innings of the third Test on Tuesday. Ajinkya Rahane, who was selected in the Indian playing XI for the 3rd and final Cape Town Test over Hanuma Vihari, only scored a 12-ball 9 before being dismissed by pacer Kagiso Rabada.

Vikram Rathour: Ajinkya Rahane Needs To Convert Starts Into Big Knock

As has been the case in press conferences, India batting coach Vikram Rathour was asked about Ajinkya Rahane’s scenario and the former didn’t shy away from giving the under-fire batter his unwavering support once again.

“No specific numbers are being discussed. He is trying his best, he is looking really, really good when he is batting in the nets and even when he is batting in the middle – he has played a couple of useful innings in this series as well. The only concern is he needs to convert one of these starts into a big one, and that’s what he is trying,” Rathour told media after the end of the first day’s play.

Ajinkya Rahane does have two decent knocks to his name in the series — 48 in the first Test and 58 in the second — but a batsman of his reputation is often expected to covert such good starts into big innings. Even Vikram Rathour admitted that this is one area where the former India Test vice-captain is struggling. Ajinkya Rahane has scored 135 runs so far in five innings in the series.

Ajinkya Rahane had earned praise for the half-century he scored in the second innings of the second Test as part of a crucial 111-run partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara, who has also been under similar pressure to perform.

Vikram Rathour Hopes Ajinkya Rahane Will Score Well In The Next Innings

The 52-year-old is hopeful that Ajinkya Rahane will come good in the next innings. But, as far as opportunities go, the team management is keen to give ‘one more chance’ to a player like Ajinkya Rahane than he deserves.

“We just hope as team management that he comes good in one of these innings. I can assure you that this management will want to give one extra chance than one less, so we will always err on that side, we will of course give one more opportunity than we think somebody deserves,” Rathour explained.

The Indian cricket team scored 223 in the first innings, with Virat Kohli’s 79 being the highest individual score. Before the end of play on Day 1, Jasprit Bumrah had succeeded in picking Proteas skipper Dean Elgar’s wicket.

South Africa will start Day 2 at 17/1, with Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj batting in the middle. With the series level at 1-1, India was all out for 223 in the first innings of the third Test with Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada taking four wickets. Fit-again skipper Virat Kohli scored his highest score in 26 innings, with a gritty 201-ball 79.

South Africa 17 for 1 (Markram 8*, Maharaj 6*, Bumrah 1-0) trail India 223 (Kohli 79, Pujara 43, Rabada 4-73) by 206 runs