Wise captain Rahane sits easy with Virat
After punching above their weight against Australia, India are bracing for another mouthwatering heavyweight clash. But vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane made it clear that the team will not lower their guard when they take on England in a four-match Test series starting here on Friday.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Rahane said there was no room for complacency against England, who were the last team to win a Test series in India. “We know what happened in Australia was special. We did enjoy and celebrate the victory. But it’s in the past now. We have a lot of respect for our opponents, England. We will not take them lightly. They are a balanced side. We have to play good cricket and back our strengths. It’s all about staying in the moment,” said Rahane.
Rahane had led India admirably in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. Now that Kohli is back from paternity leave, Rahane is happy to hand over captaincy to him. “Virat is back and that's a big positive. With him around, my job is really easy as I can take a backseat and only need to help him. The captain has too many things on his mind. As his deputy, my job is to visualise situations and give inputs to him whenever he needs,” he added.
The curator for the opening test has said the Chepauk wicket would sport an “English look” with lush green outfield and a decent amount of grass on the wicket. Rahane, however, feels it’s too early to say how the wicket will behave. “Indian wickets always suit spinners. We have to wait and see,” he added.
In Ravindra Jadeja’s absence, Axar Patel is tipped to make his Test debut. Asked about the bowling combination for the opening Test, Rahane chose to keep his cards close to his chest. “The team management will decide the combination only on the match eve, after the final training session,” he said.
As New Zealand have already qualified for the World Test championship, the India-England series will decide the other finalist. Rahane said India are not thinking that far. “Right now, we are focussed on the Chennai Test. The championship is still three-four months away. We deserve to be there though,” he said.
Being in a bio-bubble with a lot of restrictions can be overbearing for athletes. But Rahane said Indian cricketers are mentally tough and know how to cope with it. “We are not mentally tired at all. We are a family. We are enjoying time in the team room,” he said.