A captain’s delight and value addition

Rahane has proved his worth in ample measure with his flexibility

February 26, 2015 02:29 am | Updated 02:29 am IST - Perth:

Perhaps it is not in Ajinkya Rahane’s nature to use force. Not for him the muscular swipe over midwicket or the Darren Sammy-esque tee shot over long-on. Not for him the chest-thumping and the shouting.

Rahane’s is a humble, mild-mannered approach to batting and, it seems, to life. Why beat the ball to the boundary, his argument could be, when it can be gently persuaded to get there?

South Africa, though, may not care to distinguish between instruments of punishment when the quantity of pain is the same. At the MCG on Sunday, Rahane made a striking 60-ball 79, an innings that was fierce without being loud, firm without being angry. It came at a time when India’s innings needed to gain speed and it felt — to the bowlers — like a punch in the gut.

Pravin Amre — coach of Rahane’s Ranji Trophy team, Mumbai — was pleased with what he saw. “It looked more mature. He didn’t needlessly go after Dale Steyn. He knew Wayne Parnell was not bowling well; so he capitalised on that. He didn’t play any risky shots. Even when he drove them over cover, he hit it where there were no fielders,” he said.

Dhoni desires his middle-order to be flexible; overs played, runs scored, right or left-hander batting — all these are considered.

Against Pakistan, Rahane was sent in at seven and he was unfortunate in lasting only one ball. This time, he was restored to four and he put South Africa to the sword.

“In the last game we promoted Raina ahead of Ajinkya, but we had a chat with him, and we said, ‘use your timing because that’s really your strength.

“If you look to give too much power, you lose shape and you’re not allowed to score freely.’ He batted really well. He backed his natural instinct,” Dhoni said later.

Rahane must be a captain’s delight. “Whatever we say, he just nods,” Dhoni chuckled. “He’s not really rigid. He’s quite open to ideas and trying new things out. Once he tries them out, he gives you a good response as to whether it’s working for him or not.”

Rahane’s flexibility also extends to his excellent fielding. “He’s not someone who owns a position; he’s not somebody who wants to field in the covers. Wherever there is an opportunity, he’s willing to go there — boundary, covers, leg-slip, or anywhere, so it becomes slightly easy.

“He's also one of the fittest guys. On the field, he’s very quick and his intensity never drops right from the first over until the 90th over in a Test match, which to me is what fitness is all about. It’s not about how many beep tests you can do,” Dhoni said.

The willingness to be flexible is one thing and having the ability to pull it off another. That Rahane is by nature an opener helps. His versatility is of more value to the team than is often stated. He has Test hundreds in England, New Zealand and Australia; and last season, he was Rajasthan Royals’ top-scorer in the IPL.

His ODI numbers may not be extraordinary, but he has played fewer than 50 matches, without, until recently, being sure of a spot. “He was batting well in T20s and we all know how good he is in Test matches. Only in this format, he needed to prove to himself that he belonged there,” says Amre.

To the team’s hierarchy, though, Rahane has provided ample proof of his worth. He has made his case without any need for argument. Perhaps, that is just how he likes it.

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