The Indian deputy skipper Ajinkya Rahane is confident of scoring a century and even a double century in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting December 26.
During a chat with the reporters in Melbourne, Ajinkya said, “It will come, I am really sure that it will come in this match,” Rahane told reporters when asked about converting his starts in the series. The way I am batting, with the mindset of counter-attack, definitely (I will score) a 100 or maybe 200. But it is important for me to not think about the milestones. I want to continue the way I am batting and if I can read the situation and play accordingly, that will be good for the team.”
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It has been more than a year since Rahane reached the triple-figure mark in Tests when he scored 132 against Sri Lanka in August 2017 in Colombo. Since then, he has played 25 innings, managing a score of 50 plus only five times. In the ongoing series, Rahane has scored 13, 70, 51 and 30, but there has been one a crucial difference in his approach to batting in the series as he has looked to counterattack the Australian quicks and he says it has been his own decision to play that way.
Talking about his approach, Jinx said, “It is my own decision to counterattack. The way I was visualizing (in the first two Tests), I was just thinking about the kind of shots to play on the particular track. It can go either but as a batsman, it is your responsibility and it is your decision to make that happen. It comes naturally, I am an attacking batsman. But it needs visualization and also reading the situation. When you sit in the dressing room waiting to bat at 4 or 5, reading the situation is important. And batting at 4 or 5, who have to think one or two steps ahead of the game.”
The last time Rahane played a Boxing Day Test match in Australia in 2014, he scored 147 and 48 and now he is looking forward to putting in a similar performance four years later. He said that he has some happy memories in Melbourne and really excited about the Boxing Day Test match.
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The Indian opening pair has been struggling in Australia in Test series so far and the lack of runs at the top has intensified pressure on the middle order of a team which has a long tail. Talking about the same, Jinx said, “The batsmen definitely need to step up. When we discuss the batting unit, that point is very important. Especially when we are abroad, the bowlers have been taking 20 wickets since South Africa, so if the batsmen help the bowlers the results will be favoring us.”
Team India took a three-day break ahead of the Melbourne Test and Rahane said India would look to make a fresh start.
Ajinkya elaborated, “We will now look at it as a two-Test series going ahead. We got a break after the first two Tests, which was very important because sometimes the intensity of the Test match is too much. The break can be good or bad, but for our team, it is a good thing and we will have a fresh start in the Melbourne Test.”
