Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane scored a much-needed half-century in the first innings of the Trent Bridge Test and it immensely pleased his mentor and confidante Praveen Amre. Rahane amassed 81 to become the second batsman after captain Virat Kohli to cross the fifty-run mark in this series and his partnership of 159 runs with the latter helped India register a respectable first innings score of 329.

Amre, who has worked with Ajinkya for a long time now, revealed a very interesting story during the run-up to the do-or-die Test match in Nottingham. India is trailing the five-match series 0-2 and has to win the third Tes if they want to stay alive in the Test series in England.

As quoted in Hindustan Times, Amre said, “I must tell you a small story in the lead-up to the third Test. I just celebrated my 50th birthday on Tuesday and when he asked me, I said I want to see him raise his bat to the dressing room and that would be my best birthday gift,” Amre was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

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He further added, “I cannot tell you how happy I was at the moment when he reached his fifty and raised his bat towards the dressing room. Yes, he could have converted the 81 into a three-figure score, but it was a good catch that saw him getting out. For me, it was the flawlessness of the innings that stands out.”

Rahane’s Test career was facing uncertainty but his knock in Nottingham saved him for the same. Amre, who played 11 Tests and 37 ODIs for India in the 1990s and is a member of the club of batsmen who hit a Test century on debut, was happy that Rahane’s half-century came at the right time. 

Praveen concluded by talking about the mental adjustments, he said, “After 47 Test matches, he doesn’t need to be told how to bat. At this level, things are all about adapting and fighting a mental battle when the chips are down. While the world is cruel and pundits are expected to be critical when you don’t perform at the expected level, it is the job of the coach to show the player how he can improve. I just kept it simple and told him that he looked good even in the first two games before getting out cheaply.”