West Indies v India, 2nd Test, Jamaica
August 29, 2019
Ajinkya Rahane lifted his bat high and looked up into the sky, closing his eyes for a brief moment – his first Test century in two years and 17 matches.
The India vice-captain is stoic – sometimes unbelievably so – but on that day in North Sound, anybody watching him could tell he was going through a lot.
“I was a little bit emotional,” he said during the press conference before the second Test match at Sabina Park. “I thought 10th hundred was really special. I wasn’t thinking about any particular celebration, it came out automatically. It took me two years to get that 10th hundred. As I said the process always matters to me a lot. Preparations before each and every series is very important. I was actually doing that throughout the two years, and so [this hundred] was really special.”
Both in the second innings when India needed to build a lead and in the first innings when West Indies had reduced them to 25 for 3, Rahane hadn’t thought of personal milestones.
Pitch for the 2nd test match tomorrow: India vs West Indies. pic.twitter.com/vTsNCfdnav
— Ian bishop (@irbishi) August 29, 2019
“We were under pressure [in the first innings]. I thought West Indies bowled really well in that session, throughout that day. It was an opportunity for me to do something special for my team [he scored 81]. I think because of the situation I wasn’t thinking about myself because it was important to get that partnership going – one player has to stay and bat and we knew that. I thought it was something special for me personally as well because we knew we were in a difficult position at that point of time and happily we did really well and came back strongly from that point.
“[In the second innings] I knew that [106-run] partnership with Virat was very crucial. And basically, because of that team thinking, the pressure was completely off. And really special getting that hundred after two years.”
With Hanuma Vihari also getting runs and solidifying the middle order, India are likely to keep faith in the same batting line-up that won the North Sound Test, with Rohit Sharma sitting out again. “Vihari did very well in India A tours and he did really well in the domestic circuit,” Rahane said. “It’s good that players who actually did consistently well over a period of time in domestic cricket are doing well at the international level.
“At the same time Rohit is also a quality player, a special player – it’s hard to see him miss out on a Test match.”
West Indies understand that they are under pressure but they have performed well in such situations. The team also hasn’t lost a Test series at home in two years. And as one of the key players in this side, experts have said that captain Jason Holder should try to bat higher up the order but he felt the work he puts with the ball sometimes prevents him from taking the plunge.
“It’s something that I’ve obviously been wanting to do for a long time. It’s just been a team composition – I’ve been asked to bowl a lot of overs, that’s primarily my role, just trying to keep the run flow down. I’ve had a lot of success with the ball as well, having to bowl 20-30 overs and then come out and bat high has been difficult. If we can ease the burden off myself and get people like Roston Chase [to bowl longer], then I’d be able to give a little bit more attention to my batting.”
Holder also added that while he thought West Indies were already clicking as a bowling unit, they needed to do more with the bat.
“I think we got to be decisive with our footwork, decisive with our shot selection – if we are going to play or if we are going to leave. That’s just standard cricket. We just got to be a little bit more certain with what we are looking to do and back our defenses, trust our preparation that we had and just fight through the tough periods.” he said.
“The starts have been crucial for us. We have had guys get in and get out, so it’s just a matter for us to stay a little but longer in our game plan and be a little bit more patient as well and wear the Indian bowlers down. We saw a little bit in the second innings after a spell or two they tend to be a little jaded. So just to keep them a little bit more on their feet as possible and here in Jamaica it tends to be very hot and humid as well, so the longer we keep them on their feet, the better off we will be.”
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