North Sound (Antigua): India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who withstood intense pressure to score match-winning knocks in the first Test against the West Indies, has said that he made a conscious effort to ignore criticism directed at him for failing to score a century in the last two years.
Coming into the India-West Indies Test series, Ajinkya Rahane’s form was a subject of widespread debate but he silenced his critics with scores of 81 and 102 in India’s 318-run win over the West Indies here Sunday.
“I try not to get affected by criticism as it is unwanted and I can’t control it. You are always happy when you make a hundred,” Rahane told fellow Mumbaikar Rohit Sharma in a chat aired on ‘bcci.tv’. “It was satisfying as I had to grind a lot. Needed to put the team in a good position before getting to the hundred,” added Ajinkya Rahane.
Despite the dip in his performance, the Indian team management persisted with Rahane and it paid off. Skipper Virat Kohli has also backed him to do well for the team and persistently defended the batsman’s credentials in the face of questions over his form.
The second and final Test between the two sides begins Friday in Jamaica. The series is part of the inaugural World Test Championships, in which India are currently on top in the points table.
Rahane also said that the two knocks gave him a lot of satisfaction as it came under difficult conditions. However, he also said that he was not under any kind of pressure. “Yes, the first innings knock was definitely tough, I had to really put my head down, but it is also good to come to the need of the team. I was never thinking of hundreds in both the innings. All the while, during both knocks I wanted to contribute to the total score of the team,” Rahane informed.
Agencies
