After super show, Dhoni’s boys have a fun-field day at WACA
RAHANE MAKES A SPLASH
PERTH: He is not considered a big hitter, yet he hits sixes with ease even in grounds as big as the MCG. He is typecast as a batsman technically sound and in the Test mode, yet he scores at more than run-a-ball with the same ease with which he plays his drives through covers. He is not considered a finisher who can take the attack to the bowlers and turn a match on its head, yet he has an IPL century to his name.
Ajinkya Rahane is everything he doesn’t look like on a cricket field and yet he is the new boy next door star of Indian cricket waiting for this World Cup to catapult him to heights he is quietly confident of reaching.
Against Pakistan in the first match, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had sent in Suresh Raina ahead of Rahane when Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed, probably because he wanted a left-hander to replace another. But the skipper did not say that in the post-match media conference. Instead he said Raina was sent ahead because he could score quickly and if Rahane was sent, it would have put undue pressure on him.
SEIZING THE CHANCE
But the next Sunday against South Africa in a similar situation, with India on 136 for two in the 28th over, Dhoni sent in Rahane probably because he wanted a right-hander to replace Virat Kohli. But he did not say that. It was considered a test for Rahane to prove he could also score at will and he did it in style.
Rahane did a Raina. The left-hander had scored 74 off 56 against Pakistan. The righthander scored 79 off 60 with seven fours and three sixes. All the while South Africa and the stands were concentrating on Dhawan, Rahane quietly played a match-winning knock.
“We had a chat with him, we said bat to your strength, use your timing because that’s really your strength. If you look to hit with power you lose shape and you can’t score freely. He backed his natural instinct. So I was very happy with his performance. Slowly with more games, I think he’ll start getting more and more runs,” Dhoni said.
There is another positive. For vs AUSTRALIA at Melbourne vs ENGLAND at Brisbane
In the tri-series vs AUSTRALIA vs ENGLAND vs ENGLAND MS DHONI, India skipper on Ajinkya Rahane
every run Rahane scores or he doesn’t, he does save a few on the field. “He’s one of the fittest guys. You see him on the field, he’s very quick, and his intensity actually never drops right from the first over until the 90th over if you see a Test match. This I feel is what fitness is all about. It’s not all about how many bleep tests you can do. It’s really nice to see him on the field. Again he’s not someone who wants to always field at a particular position. Wherever there is vs ENGLAND at Perth In contrast, they’ve done well in the World Cup thanks to match-turning performances from the No 4. Raina struck 74 against Pakistan and Rahane hit 79 against South Africa batting in that position. vs PAKISTAN at Adelaide
In the World Cup vs PAKISTAN at No. 5 vs SOUTH AFRICA at No. 6 vs S AFRICA at Melbourne
an opportunity he’s willing to go there, whether it’s the boundaries, covers, leg slip, anywhere, so it becomes slightly easy for me as a captain,” Dhoni added.
In the past, Dhoni had said that in the limited over matches he was looking at a batting line-up where after the top three, it has to be flexible. With Rahane and Raina interchanging positions with ease and scripting success stories, Dhoni has half the job done. PERTH: A lone Indian lady was waiting patiently outside the WACA gates with four full-size cricket bats. After almost an hour, the security guard left his seat and came out to talk to her.
“The India team will train today but there are no fan activities scheduled. So if you are waiting to meet the players and get autographs signed come back tomorrow.” The India team was supposed to be training from 2pm and the lady was well before time. But they delayed the session for an hour and a half, apparently after seeing the sun beating down mercilessly.
India’s match on Saturday is against the UAE, who are yet to make a mark in the tournament and perhaps presuming the match to be one-sided, there aren’t too many running after tickets. But even then there was no let-up in intensity at the Indian training session on Wednesday. It was only fielding and a game of football, but done with all seriousness.
Skipper MS Dhoni has spoken about using the training sessions judiciously and using the entire field more often than not. Good thing about the ICC and Cricket Australia is that India’s demands have been fulfilled till now.
Wednesday’s fielding drill was in three parts. Assistant coach
Injury to Rohit Sharma forced him to the top of the order. After a little stutter negotiating the new ball, he found form, finishing off with a 73.
AT NO. 3
(22b, 4x2) vs Australia
OPENING Despite repeatedly underlining his quality, the team management has shuffled Rahane in the batting order. But the batsman with a sound technique to tackle pace on bouncy pitches has grown in strength.
(40b, 1x4, 1x6) vs England
This was when the team think-tank reverted Rahane to the middle-order and he came on top with two halfcenturies. In the warm-ups, he tried out all unorthodox shots too, especially against Afghanistan.
AT NO. 4
(52b, 8x4) vs Australia
AT NO. 5
(61b, 12x4, 2x6) vs Afghanistan Sanjay Bangar with a tennis racquet and tennis ball concentrated on improving reflexes. Bowling coach Bharat Arun focussed on ground fielding and catching with the leather ball and at the far corner fielding coach R Sridhar organised drills on pickup and throws.
“The fielding was fabulous against South Africa, bowling also,” team director Ravi Shastri said. “You would think it was Australia or South Africa on the field. But when Australia or South Africa do that, people sit up and say fabulous fielding. Why not in the case of India?” he added.
OPENING
(50b, 2x4) vs Australia
By the time he came into bat in the first game, the damage had been done by the other batsmen. His knock against South Africa though was a gamechanger.
AT NO. 7
OPENING
(101b, 3x4, 1x6) vs England (1b) vs Pakistan AT NO. 4
(60b, 7x4, 3x6) vs South Africa A hat-trick at the Waca is not just about a bowler taking three on the trot. The scorching sun has forced officials to take the significance of the achievement a little forward. There are stations on the walls of the stadium with the sign hattrick on them. Below them it reads: ‘Use a hat and sunscreen’. The hat, cricket officials assume, the fans will carry. Huge decanters of sunscreen though are placed below the signs and fans can apply them before stepping into the stands as protection against ultra-violet radiation. This is an issue with venues in the southern hemisphere. On Wednesday, it was 32 degrees Celsius when players began training, but for some reason it felt a lot hotter. At least one reporter, who has worked all his life in Delhi and had laughed at the hat-trick sign saying one should take the Aussies to Delhi during peak summer, fell sick. NILANKUR DAS
JASVINDER SIDHU
But in the middle of all seriousness the mood was relaxed, there was laughter and banter, leg-pulling and even Shastri cracked a joke or two. Even goals in their matches were celebrated like one has scored in the Champions League.
Virat Kohli danced with Ravindra Jadeja and then celebrated with a slide after scoring one. Not that it won them the series which the team is playing in football during the course of the World Cup, but still they celebrated. The skipper, himself a decent football player, is the most enthusiastic about it and even during breaks in fielding can’t stop himself from tapping or juggling the ball around.
For the first time in over three months in Australia, the India team was once again the happy, chirpy lot, the spring in their steps back and so was their self-belief as rock stars of the cricket world. Victory against Pakistan and South Africa has changed a few things. Chris Gayle (WI)
Shikhar Dhawan (Ind) Marlon Samuels (WI)
Andre Russell (WI) Kevin O’Brien (Ire) (min. 50 runs) Tim Southee (NZ) POOL A NZ
Aus Ban
SL
Eng
Afg
Sco
POOL B Ind
WI Ire SA Zim UAE Pak 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0
265.38 192.30 6 3 3 2 2 0 0 4 255 210 192 11 9 8
+3.58 +2.22 +2.10 -0.86 -1.41 -1.17 -2.74
+2.06 4 +1.33 4 +0.33 2 -0.68 2 -0.82 0 -0.17 0 -2.26 3.30am, Afghanistan v Scotland, live on Star Sports 4 & HD4. 9.00am, Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, live on Star Sports 1, 3,
HD1 & HD3.
THE MOOD WAS RELAXED, THERE WAS LAUGHTER AND BANTER, LEG PULLING AND EVEN SHASTRI CRACKED A JOKE OR TWO