‘As captain, you must back your gut feeling’
MUMBAI: In a career-defining performance, Ajinkya Rahane slipped effortlessly into the shoes of Virat Kohli, both at the No. 4 batting spot and as captain, helping India script history in Australia by retaining the Border-gavaskar Trophy. The performance of the India team will go down as one of the glorious tales of world cricket, with Rahane’s men being spoken about in the same breath as the great entertainers from the West Indies, Frank Worrell’s team of 1960-61. Like Worrell’s men, they took Australia by storm with their daring brand of cricket; playing with both grit and flair, playing both hard and fair. The reserved and soft-spoken Rahane led the team aggressively and astutely. “Batting at No. 4, was a challenge as well as a responsibility, and I thought it was the best opportunity for me to stand up, send that message,” he said.
Excerpts from an interview:
set up the game. Then Pujara and Rishabh’s partnership and then Rishabh and Washington’s partnership.
Initially, we were only looking to play one session at a time, but in the last session the message was clear (to go for the target), but play normal game, play normal cricketing shots.
I generally back my instincts; what I feel, what I think and how I read the situation. It is for people to say whether it comes naturally to me or not, but for me, I back my instincts and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But as a player, as a captain you have to back your gut feeling.
It was the game plan we had for him. Sydney was a different wicket. Brisbane was a different wicket, it had bounce. So, we had to alter our length, alter our plans and bowl accordingly. Especially Brisbane, credit to our bowlers because everyone was new: Washington Sundar and T Natarajan were making their debuts, while Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini, they had played four-five matches between them. I thought the way they bowled to their plans was really good. They were sure how they wanted to bowl. That’s what we did. That’s how we came back into the series at Melbourne. Our thought was all about playing good cricket, showing good attitude, showing that character on the field. That helped us a lot. That’s what we decided: let’s play five days of good cricket and then whatever the result is we will accept it. Be strong, be together as a team and play as a team. was just observing that. When it came to Adelaide, Virat was the captain. So, I was taking a back seat. From Melbourne onwards, I knew what I had to do. I was clear in my head on what plans I had.
On batting at No.4, it was a challenge as well as a responsibility, and I thought it was the best opportunity for me to stand up, send that message and contribute for the team. get better from here”.
On the 36 all out, everyone was disappointed. No one expected that. We had to move on, and not think too much about it. We only had 3-4 days for the next Test.
The situation was different, we were 0-1 down in the series. We were looking to come back. There was pressure. We were three down for 60; we needed to build a partnership. At that point of time, I was just looking to enjoy the moment. I wanted to feel that pressure, enjoy that pressure, and be in that zone. I wasn’t thinking of any personal achievement, or milestone. I just wanted to be there for the team, build partnerships, and take the team to a good position. In that process, the hundred happened. Now, when I sit back and think about it, I think that was the moment for us. We got the momentum, crucial runs on the board and eventually went on to win that Test. It was special. My best ever, so far.
The way Ashwin bowled from Adelaide… I think he was relaxed, calm and confident. That’s why he could do his best. That’s why he could bat well too. We know he is a wickettaker, a match-winner for us and a great bowler. In this series, he was calmer and more composed, which helped him.
It’s all Ashwin’s credit, man, it’s all his credit. I was only backing my players. I looked good because everyone did well. I looked good because of them.
It was a massive factor. We know his record, and how well he can bowl. So, we had some individual plans against him. The message was clear to everyone: to back one’s individual plans against each bowler.
Pujara was determined. He was focussed. I feel people who understand Test cricket will not doubt his ability. We don’t doubt his ability. You need that kind of a player in your team, to play that sort of cricket. He wasn’t shy of getting hit, which is what was needed at that point of time (Brisbane Test). We all respect him. Credit to him, the way he batted…he wasn’t thinking about runs, but he was playing that situation really well. When you have someone batting like him at one end, others can play around him.
We decided as a team management that if we move him up, we can get the left-right combination going. Australia would have to change their line and length. We wanted to move the game forward. That’s how we took that decision. Again, credit to him, no credit to us, that he played that knock, and got the runs. In Brisbane too, he played a fantastic knock, a match-winning knock. He was under pressure, but the kind of cricket he played, the way he batted, was great.
I always feel you should know to manage both success and failure. There should not be any fluctuations. My family support during a down time and Vedanta knowledge has helped me a lot in handling these situations. On, how to stay calm, humble, and be respectful. I have also always believed that whatever is happening around you is because you respect the game. Yes, even this victory came because of the respect I have for the game. It was truly special.