New Delhi: In an age when cricketers are known as much for their batting prowess as their demonstrative and aggressive mannerisms, Ajinkya Rahane’s calm demeanour is hard to miss. Calm and calculated, Rahane displays signs of aggression only when with his bat. He likes to bat in solitude — much like his mentor and role model Rahul Dravid — and has taken rapid strides in international cricket in the last two years.
There was a time when Rahane was benched for 16 straight Test matches and when most would have sulked, he utilised that time to pick the brains of Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman, asking for tips to improve his batting. Today, he is an established Test regular, having scored hundreds in New Zealand, England and Australia, averaging 44.87 in 14 games. Many consider him among the most technically correct batsmen of recent times, and Rahane credits it to his “mental toughness”. The Rajasthan Royals’ player speaks about his journey in international cricket and love for karate among other things.
Excerpts:
On his India journey, including time on the bench: That was a learning period. My mindset throughout that time was really positive. I was lucky that Sachin paaji, Rahul Dravid, M.S. Dhoni, V.V.S. Laxman were all part of the team and it gave me a chance to speak to them about my batting. And once I got to make my India debut... I understood what it meant to be a Test cricketer. I still cherish that moment.
On overseas pitches and adjustments required: Most of the times, I focus on the mental aspect. It was challenging and these tours gave me a lot of confidence. In England, it was the first time that we played five Tests and I picked up on small things like mental adjustments and fine-tuning the technique, etc. which are very crucial.
On his approach: I do meditation. I like to visualise a lot... especially a day ahead of a game, I give myself 10 minutes and I think about which bowlers I am going to face. That is part of my preparation. Apart from this, I learnt karate long time back. I am still a very shy guy, but these two things help me on the field. Meditation helps me perform under pressure and karate lets me express myself on the field which you wouldn’t get to see off the field. Karate brings out the aggressive part in me and I carry that attitude to the cricket field.
On things learnt from Dravid and Tendulkar: They told me: ‘Keep your game very simple, do not try to complicate it. Respect the game and stick to your process. If you respect this game, the game will respect you back.’
On his technique and playing correct shots even in T20: I believe technique is important to succeed, and that comes naturally to me. I am not a big hitter of the ball and I rely on technique and training. More than that, how you tune your mind is what defines your game.
On his approach to a game: I like to take my time initially. If I am there say after half an hour, I like to bat according to my instincts. I recently worked on my backlift and footwork under Praveen Amre sir... and I bring all that into play. But above all, I have always believed that being mentally tough is the highest thing at this level and I put a lot of preparation in this aspect.
On married life: I am lucky that my wife Radhika is very understanding. As a cricketer, sometimes you have to be alone.I need time to meditate, read books and she understands all this. A partner plays a big part in a player’s career.
