India may have been bowled out for 107 on the second day of the Lord’s Test but Ajinkya Rahane feels all is not lost yet. “You never know, the match can still be interesting if we get them out early and bat well in the second innings,” he said.
“We need to believe; belief is important. There’s a long way to go in this match. You never know, the series can still be 1-1 at the end of this match.”
Conditions were hard for batting, Rahane stated. “You won’t get conditions more challenging than that, with the Dukes ball and Jimmy Anderson bowling well. He didn’t bowl one short; he was just there and thereabouts, that 4 and 5m length. If you play out three maidens, get ready to face three more. It’s all about patience,” he said.
The start-stop nature of the day’s play did not help, Rahane felt. “It’s not easy when it’s start-stop but there are no excuses at the highest level. England bowled well; they used the conditions really well. I’d like to give credit to them.”
Rahane was asked about Cheteshwar Pujara’s run-out.
“That definitely hurts, even Pujara will be disappointed,” he said. “You’ve got to accept your mistakes; acceptance is key. When there’s a run-out, just before the weather comes in, definitely as a team you feel really bad.”
