Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t fuss over technical issues but India’s Test vice-captain feels that the breeze in Wellington and Christchurch needs to be factored in during the team’s upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand next month.
India will be playing two Tests in Wellington (February 21-25) and Christchurch (February 29-March 4) after five T20Is and three ODIs.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, Rahane spoke on a host of issues with regard to the upcoming tour where the current team has a good chance of emulating the class of 2009 under M.S. Dhoni’s captaincy.
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“We played there in 2014... there is a breeze factor that is involved. I guess getting used to conditions will be the key as there will be more sideways movement because of breeze,” Rahane said when asked about the challenges.
“In the last tour, I played in Wellington but [in] Christchurch, we will be playing a Test match after long time. Getting used to conditions will be key,” he added.
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Rahane, who has been doing his homework for the tour, singled out left-arm fast bowler Neil Wagner as the bowler to watch out for after his recent exploits against Australia and prior to that, England. “Wagner did well in the recent series (27 wickets from last 4 Tests). You can’t take just one name. As a batting unit, you’ve got to respect every bowler.
Natural game
“As a home team, they have an advantage knowing conditions well but, at the same time, we need to play our natural game also,” said the 31-year-old, who has scored 4112 runs in 63 Test matches.
With Trent Boult and Wagner looking to bring the ball back into the right-handers, Rahane feels that standing outside the crease to counter the swing could be the way to deal with them but then, to each his own.
Different ways
“There are different ways to counter different kinds of bowling. Everyone has a different method. Few players love standing outside the crease (to negate the swing) and some stand deep inside the crease.
“Some take middle-stump guard, few take leg-stump guard. Individual players should stick to their own strengths.”
In New Zealand, playing as close as possible to the body will be very important, said Rahane. “You have to focus on the basics as you can’t think too much about your technique. It’s about keeping your game simple, playing close to the body, as late as possible and according to the situation. Pace and bounce will be different.”
Ideal preparation
Rahane will be playing for India-A in the the second four-day ‘Test’ against New Zealand-A to prepare for the big series.
“I think it’s a good idea to have shadow tours with India-A. So, before playing Test matches, if India-A matches are there, it’s good preparation for us. It helps in acclimatisation.