Let Rahul and Rahane find form in Ranji, instead of repetitive ODIs
Ajinkya Rahane has been falling at low scores.
Watching Team India captain Virat Kohli essay his 20th Test ton at Kotla, his home ground, and cross the 5,000 run mark, was a delight. Here is a man who has been complaining about too much cricket to play and incommensurate pay. With the pay issue being sorted out, and rightly so, it’s time for the entire team to focus on cricket.
On Saturday, at the “new-look” Kotla, where stands and gates have been named after former legends from the Capital, Kohli had to come in earlier than he would have wished. The man is in sublime form and whatever be the game’s format or the colour of the ball and the clothes, he is churning out magic.
Only maestros can come up with such knocks, though the quality of bowling from the Sri Lankans has been pedestrian. It is good to see the Indian side do well and the bowling department function efficiently. There has been talk from captain Kohli about preparing for the big challenge, competing hard against South Africa in the away series, starting end-December.
Kohli has opted out of the ODI series against the Sri Lankans and the Indian board has handed over reins to Rohit Sharma. Frankly speaking, the men who look after the health of Indian cricket have a few worries to deal with. Kohli has to come in and bat earlier because there are problems with the opening batsmen, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan.
Even more worrying is how Ajinkya Rahane has been falling at low scores. Looking at the use of the openers in the three Tests, it’s clear the selectors and the think-tank have given the openers two Tests each.
Murali Vijay has batted beautifully, in true Test manner. Team India will hope he can produce the same quality of play in South Africa, where the hostile fast bowlers are expected to play a big role.
There is no doubting Rahul’s technique. If he had to be dropped at the Kotla, it’s not without reason. He has found the going tough and would need to do a lot of introspection. Quite often, it’s not a matter of some major glitch in batting technique, but how a batsman deals with inner demons, and perhaps spends time in the one format he is best at.
India is playing plenty of international cricket across three formats. And it’s here, perhaps, that someone like Rahul needs to be treated as Test commodity and not made to travel around with the teams. Test cricket is pure. Test cricket can be testing abroad and there is nothing wrong in wearing a specialist opener’s tag.
Ideally, Rahul should be playing more domestic cricket now so that he can regain his touch and confidence. With Karnataka making it to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, he should be playing in it, as that would be better preparation for the South Africa series. The other worry is Shikhar Dhawan.
He started well on Saturday and then could not build on it. As an aggressive opener who scores at a fast clip, whatever be the format, a batsman like Dhawan cannot be kept away.
Yes, India needs him to fire in South Africa, where you cannot let the fast bowlers get on top. Dhawan has a large heart and would perhaps do well to prepare for the South African tour by representing Delhi in the Ranji Trophy knockout.
There is simply no point competing in an average ODI series against Sri Lanka. There are enough youngsters who can be given a chance against the Sri Lankans. This is the kind of planning perhaps which skipper Kohli should envisage for the away tour, where India do not have a good record against strong teams.
So, what does one make of vice-captain Rahane’s rotten run? He is certainly a very dependable bat and what trauma he is going through while falling to poor scores is inexplicable. Batting coach Sanjay Bangar spoke on Saturday evening and suggested that Rahane could soon come out of this rut. We would all like him to do that at the earliest.
But then, there’s a case for Rahane to also focus more on Test cricket, as he is such an important part of the plans. Playing poor shots and losing his wicket to average spinners makes for bad viewing. Perhaps, he, too, can miss this ODI series against Sri Lanka and iron out the flaws.
As one who defines correctness in technique and what a solid approach is to batting, Rahane would do well to spend time away from irrelevant ODIs. The record he holds while batting abroad is so impressive, India would want him in good form in South Africa.
To be sure, blaming cricketers for loss in form does no good. Players who are vital to the Test side and need to be nursed will look up to the strategists who handle Indian cricket. Maybe, coach Ravi Shastri needs to spell it out to the selectors.
(Courtesy of Mail Today)