Mumbai: One of the most prolific scorers in domestic cricket in the last four seasons, Mumbai’s Ajinkya Rahane had been waiting patiently for a national call-up. And when it finally came in England, the 23-year-old grabbed it with both hands, making 158 runs in five ODI after a quick-fire 61 in the one-off T20 to announce his arrival on the international scene. In a chat with The Indian Express, Rahane, who returned home on Sunday, spoke about the experience of playing in England, and on what has changed for him in the last three weeks. Excerpts:
Are you satisfied with your performance in your debut series?
Partly yes, the series went really well but I feel it could have gone even better. The series surely gave me some confidence but am not satisfied with my performance. I got starts but couldn’t convert them and it would have been great had we won a few matches.
You used to open for Mumbai before dropping down the order. How did you feel when you were asked to open in England?
I was a bit nervous and it’s natural, especially when you are asked to open at such a big stage. Playing for the country is, after all, a different experience. I just kept things simple and played my natural game against a very good bowling attack.
But was it difficult for you to adjust, given that you were also new to the conditions?
I played a practice game before the T20 match, so I told myself that this is the only time to revise before going into the big test. I was ready mentally to take up the challenge, it was just a matter of controlling myself.
There must have been pressure on you to make the chance count. How did you cope with it?
Pressure is bound to happen; after all, you are playing for the country, and being watched by millions of people. It was an opportunity for me to learn but I need to learn the art of building an innings now.
Now that you have made it to the Indian team, what do you think you need to do in order to cement your place?
I have just entered international cricket. One thing is clear that it will not be an easy task. Surviving for a long period will demand more hard work. One has to be even more focussed than before. Getting in is easy but staying at the top will be tough.
Did those 4600-plus runs in domestic cricket help in England?
They did. But mentally you still aren’t sure till you finally put bat on ball in international cricket. When I travelled to England, there were plenty of things going on in my mind. I didn’t know whether I would get a chance or not. After I played my first shot in the Twenty20 game — towards point — the confidence came. I told myself that I belong here. Hope the things go all right in the future too.
Did you regret not converting your starts into one big, defining knock in the ODI series?
I regret it but as a batsman I tried to play my shots as per the merit of the ball. I need to learn the art of building innings. I talked to some seniors about it, and I need to put in more hard work.
You had a few good partnership with Parthiv Patel. How was the understanding between you two?
We told ourselves that we will just try to stay at the crease for a while and then play our strokes. If any loose balls come in, then we will try to cash in because the conditions were challenging, and we were up against a quality bowling attack. Parthiv and I played the short ball well because we were ready for it.
After the England tour, what has changed for you as an individual?
I’m still myself but people have started to recognise me, which feels good. When I went to England nobody knew who I was but when I came back, people knew my name. From England airport to Mumbai, people complimented my effort. But it’s just a start.
Are you satisfied with your performance in your debut series?
Partly yes, the series went really well but I feel it could have gone even better. The series surely gave me some confidence but am not satisfied with my performance. I got starts but couldn’t convert them and it would have been great had we won a few matches.
You used to open for Mumbai before dropping down the order. How did you feel when you were asked to open in England?
I was a bit nervous and it’s natural, especially when you are asked to open at such a big stage. Playing for the country is, after all, a different experience. I just kept things simple and played my natural game against a very good bowling attack.
But was it difficult for you to adjust, given that you were also new to the conditions?
I played a practice game before the T20 match, so I told myself that this is the only time to revise before going into the big test. I was ready mentally to take up the challenge, it was just a matter of controlling myself.
There must have been pressure on you to make the chance count. How did you cope with it?
Pressure is bound to happen; after all, you are playing for the country, and being watched by millions of people. It was an opportunity for me to learn but I need to learn the art of building an innings now.
Now that you have made it to the Indian team, what do you think you need to do in order to cement your place?
I have just entered international cricket. One thing is clear that it will not be an easy task. Surviving for a long period will demand more hard work. One has to be even more focussed than before. Getting in is easy but staying at the top will be tough.
Did those 4600-plus runs in domestic cricket help in England?
They did. But mentally you still aren’t sure till you finally put bat on ball in international cricket. When I travelled to England, there were plenty of things going on in my mind. I didn’t know whether I would get a chance or not. After I played my first shot in the Twenty20 game — towards point — the confidence came. I told myself that I belong here. Hope the things go all right in the future too.
Did you regret not converting your starts into one big, defining knock in the ODI series?
I regret it but as a batsman I tried to play my shots as per the merit of the ball. I need to learn the art of building innings. I talked to some seniors about it, and I need to put in more hard work.
You had a few good partnership with Parthiv Patel. How was the understanding between you two?
We told ourselves that we will just try to stay at the crease for a while and then play our strokes. If any loose balls come in, then we will try to cash in because the conditions were challenging, and we were up against a quality bowling attack. Parthiv and I played the short ball well because we were ready for it.
After the England tour, what has changed for you as an individual?
I’m still myself but people have started to recognise me, which feels good. When I went to England nobody knew who I was but when I came back, people knew my name. From England airport to Mumbai, people complimented my effort. But it’s just a start.
News By:
cricket.expressindia.com
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