Rahane backs ‘opener’ Sharma to come good
MUMBAI: Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said it was difficult to watch Rohit Sharma sit out of the two Tests in West Indies last month. Sharma has been given another opportunity to prove his Test mettle, albeit as an opener for the first time in his career. In a media interaction during an event hosted by his office team Indian Oil Corporation on Thursday, Rahane said he was happy Sharma is finally getting another chance although he didn’t want to comment on whether his Mumbai teammate will open. Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, however, has already made it clear he will be India’s designated opener in the three-match Test series against South Africa.
“You want an answer actually? I don’t know yet whether Rohit will open. If he does, I will be happy for him. I said in West Indies also, it’s hard to see a special talent like Rohit sitting out,” said Rahane. “He has worked so hard and if he gets an opportunity, I am sure, he will do well. We all know the quality and talent he has and Test is all about mindset. ODI cricket, we all know, you can go out there and back yourself. In Tests sometimes if two bowlers are bowling good spells you’ve got to respect that spell and come out strongly.”
Confidence restored after scoring a Test century in the last series against West Indies, Rahane acknowledged the challenge batsmen will face from a pace attack led by Kagiso Rabada. “Rabada is a quality bowler. He is a wicket-taker. It doesn’t matter how the pitches will be. We have to respect him and the other bowlers,” said Rahane.
“They have got a relatively young team, but their bowling attack is experienced. Keshav Maharaj has played County cricket and did well in red ball (matches). We know the Indian conditions really well and we have to get off to a good start. I always believe, when you focus on your strength as a team, it doesn’t matter what the opposition is doing.”
Rahane, who has spent a fair bit of time playing for Hampshire at the start of this season, shared how the County stint allowed him the time to sort out his thoughts. “It’s a completely different experience when you play County cricket. Here, we get things so easily. In County cricket, you need to do everything on your own. Apart from cricket, small things helped me a lot. I used to walk alone after the practice sessions and think (about) ‘what was my thinking when I started playing cricket’. The answer was that I just enjoyed cricket. When you think about the outcome, you put yourself under pressure. In County cricket, those two months, I learnt a lot.”
It has been the ideal preparation for Test cricket as well. “I played seven matches and the focus was actually on red ball because I knew we would play Dukes ball in the West Indies. Trusting your ability was the key,” said Rahane.
Despite being ignored for the World Cup this year, Rahane still harbours the dream of making a comeback to the ODI team. “Apart from Tests, I really enjoy playing ODI cricket as well. I don’t want to put myself under pressure but I want to come back to ODI cricket as well. The focus is to enjoy Test cricket and keep contributing to the team.”