One does not associate Ajinkya Rahane with soft dismissals. Raised on the diet of correct technique and ‘khadoos’ attitude in the maidans of Mumbai, it is ingrained in Rahane’s system to not throw his wicket away, especially in the longer format. The seeds of Rahane’s seventh century were sown in the Antigua Test when an innocuous long-hop from Devendra Bishoo had consumed Cheteshwar Pujara and had also resulted in Rahane’s wicket. On a pitch and against an attack where R Ashwin registered his third Test ton and Amit Mishra brought up a half-century, Rahane had missed out.
It was evident that the Indian vice - captain was not going to repeat his mistake and make a big score the next time he goes out to bat. He did exactly that and registered his fifth overseas hundred (108 not out off 237 balls) and third in fourth innings to help India get a lead of 304 runs after declaring on 500/9 on the third day. Rahane was tight in his technique, patient in approach and disciplined in the first session and when Jason Holder was bowling a spirited spell.
He stitched a crucial 98-run stand with Wriddhiman Saha and added 33 and 42 runs for the seventh and the ninth wicket respectively. “I was disappointed with the way I got out in the first Test. But, whether we play in India or abroad, what’s important for me is my process and preparations. I never think about scoring hundreds. I think the results will follow as long as I prepare well and my processes are right. I think about the small things that are helpful to me. At the same time scoring a hundred here is special, getting to the three-figure mark is really special for a batsman.”
As India press for a win on the fourth day, Rahane said the bowlers will need to be patient and continue bowling on a spot for sustained periods like they did in the first match. “Patience is going to be a key here. Wickets are getting slower and slower and it’s not easy to play your shots and get runs. Once you are set you can play your shots.
“This goes for the bowlers as well. There is something for the fast bowlers but it’s important for us to bowl a decent line and length tomorrow. We have to bowl patiently. In the first Test match we bowled in good areas and we bowled consistently. If we do that we will be in a good position tomorrow.”
With weather washing out the final session and the thundershowers forecast for the fourth day, Rahane said the team did not dwell too much on the factors that are beyond their control. “We did not have any discussion about the rain. We can’t control the rain. On the islands, it rains but also clears quickly also. You can’t be thinking about the weather and playing. The important thing was how much of a lead we could get and how quickly we can get it. Anyway, there was plenty of time left in the Test match.
“Instead of thinking about the weather, it’s better we focus on what we can control. That will be better for us. The weather is good sometimes and bad sometimes. We don’t spend too much time discussing that.”
