India batting coach Vikram Rathour has shared that former Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane needs to convert his starts into big scores. However, he supported the struggling batsman and added that the team management will give him opportunities too. While India posted a total of 223 in the first innings of the final Test, Ajinkya Rahane scored 9 off 12.
“No specific numbers are being discussed. He is trying his best, he is looking really, really good when he is batting in the nets and even when he is batting in the middle – he has played couple of useful innings in this series as well. The only concern is he needs to convert one of these starts into a big one, and that’s what he is trying,” he said at the post-day press conference. “We just hope as a team management that he comes good in one of these innings. I can assure you that this management will want to give one extra chance than one less, so we will always err on that side, we will of course give one more opportunity than we think somebody deserves.”
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On the other hand, South Africa lost their first wicket – Dean Elgar for 3 off 16 as Jasprit Bumrah managed to remove him. And, South Africa finished Day 1 at Newlands on 17 for 1. Opener Aiden Markram (8 off 20) and Keshav Maharaj (6 off 12) are in the middle as well.
Meanwhile, India opener Mayank Agarwal too has been going through poor form as he scored 15 off 35 after getting a thick edge to Markram at the second slip as well. However, Vikram Rathour stated that Mayank should stick to his original game as he has the ability to score big after getting set in the middle.
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“That’s how he plays, that’s how he scores his runs. As I said earlier also, people have different techniques, so everyone has a unique technique and he has a unique technique. So he needs to just make some adjustments and get through the initial phase, and he’s somebody who has shown that once he gets a start, he has the temperament to make it big. Those are the conversations we have with him, he needs to back his technique, the way he bats,” Vikram Rathour signed off.
