Ajinkya Rahane eyes India cap

NAGPUR: Different people react differently to criticism. While many get affected, some determined ones take it positively in their stride and get inspiration. Ajinkya Rahane falls in the latter category.
Someone who has scored 4673 runs at 67.72, 17 hundreds and 18 fifties in just 48 matches ought to be a special one. Still Rahane has often faced the criticism for being too flashy; at times guilty of throwing his wicket at crucial junctures.However, the 23-year-old youngster is unfazed by the criticism. He knows only one way to silence his critics and that is to let his bat do all the talking. That is exactly what he did in Australia.
At a time, when the Indian batting was found wanting in the challenging English conditions and their star batsmen are on wrong side of 30s, the performance of youngsters like Rahane may well be the bright light Indian cricket need at this moment. Rahane was clearly one of the finds of the tour. India remained unbeaten in both Twenty20 and three-day format in the four-nation Emerging Trophy. Rahane, who was the vice-captain of the India Emerging (read India 'A') for the Emerging Trophy, played a vital role in team's success. The Mumbai batsman scored 274 runs at an average of 68.50 with the help of two hundreds.
"I have always admired Sachin (Tendulkar) Bhai and Rahul (Dravid) Bhai and one thing I learned from both of them during the IPL is that preparation plays very important role in your success. So, I prepared very hard. During our camp in Bangalore, I put myself out of comfort zone and that helped me a lot. It was my fourth tour down under so I knew the conditions. Thankfully things went my way. It's good to start the season on a positive note," Rahane told TOI.
Over the years, Rahane has been piling runs by tons but his performances have mostly gone unnoticed. Among the talented lot of Indian youngsters, Rahane not only has the highest average but also the maximum number of hundreds. His conversion rate is exceptional. The statistics show that every time Rahane passes the 50-run mark, he goes on to make it big most of the time. Besides, he can bat at any position.
"I started as an opener but shifted to No 3 as Mumbai team management felt if I bat down the order, it would strengthen the middle order. I am comfortable batting at any position. Every cricketer dreams of representing his country and I am no different. But for that too happen I need to score consistently. The last three four seasons have been great for me and I just want to be consistent. I think I am ready for the next level," he said.
Former Indian opener and Team India Manager Lalchand Rajput says time has come to test youngsters like Rahane at the top level. "Until you throw them in water, you can't judge whether they can swim properly or not. Rahane has been consistently scoring runs at every level. He believes in playing positive cricket which is the way to play at the top. Definitely, he deserves a chance," Rajput, under whom Rahane made his India Under-19 debut in New Zealand five years ago, said.
"His rise has been steady over the years. Rahane has also worked on his shot selection and is improving with every outing. I see no reason why can't he succeed at the international level," he said.
Former India cricketer Pravin Amre, who was also Mumbai coach, feels Rahane should now be given the chance. "Not many batsmen in the country have scored 4000 runs in the last four seasons. He has a sound technique; he is adept at playing both pacers and spinners. Besides, he is an exceptional fielder. He is an ideal No. 3 batsman in the longer version and has also opened in the one-dayers. So, it's advantage to have such players in the side who can bat at any position," Amre said.