Ravi Shastri’s tips helped me in converting starts: Rahane
6 Sept 2014 3:40 AM IST
Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan have already paid glowing tributes to the former India all-rounder for his contribution in helping the struggling team and now Rahane is the latest batsman to state how Shastri’s tips helped him in converting a good start into a 100 in the last match.
‘It hurt the team’s chances that I was not converting my starts. Ravi Shastri was very helpful during this phase. He asked me to play the way I was playing and just asked for a little extra focus between 40 and 50. He said, ‘Once you cross 50, your instinct will take over,’ Rahane said at the pre-match press conference.
‘My aim in the third ODI was to focus that bit harder once I crossed 40, at least for those 10 next runs. After that I backed my instinct,’ he added, crediting the team’s newly appointed director-of-cricket.
‘I was batting well in the first two matches (at Cardiff and Nottingham), but got out on 45 and 41. That hurt me a lot because if you are batting so well in good conditions against this attack, if you get a big score it is good for my confidence and team morale,’ Rahane said.
Talking further about his maiden ODI ton, Rahane said, ‘It was really special. After two 40s in the first two ODIs I was really hurt. I couldn’t sleep after the Cardiff game because the way I got out stumped. It was a really silly mistake of mine. I was really determined in the third ODI. Once I crossed the next 10 runs after 40, my natural game took over.’
Rahane said he was confident a substancial knock was just round the corner. ‘I knew deep inside that a big innings was around the corner. When you are batting well, you don’t think too much. All I had to think about was how to focus that bit extra between 40 and 50, and how I prepare for that phase before the match. It was just a mind game.
‘As I said, Ravi told me the next 10 runs after I reach will be important. When I reached the 40s, my whole aim was to concentrate harder. Once I crossed 50, I backed my natural game,’ he added.
‘It hurt the team’s chances that I was not converting my starts. Ravi Shastri was very helpful during this phase. He asked me to play the way I was playing and just asked for a little extra focus between 40 and 50. He said, ‘Once you cross 50, your instinct will take over,’ Rahane said at the pre-match press conference.
‘My aim in the third ODI was to focus that bit harder once I crossed 40, at least for those 10 next runs. After that I backed my instinct,’ he added, crediting the team’s newly appointed director-of-cricket.
‘I was batting well in the first two matches (at Cardiff and Nottingham), but got out on 45 and 41. That hurt me a lot because if you are batting so well in good conditions against this attack, if you get a big score it is good for my confidence and team morale,’ Rahane said.
Talking further about his maiden ODI ton, Rahane said, ‘It was really special. After two 40s in the first two ODIs I was really hurt. I couldn’t sleep after the Cardiff game because the way I got out stumped. It was a really silly mistake of mine. I was really determined in the third ODI. Once I crossed the next 10 runs after 40, my natural game took over.’
Rahane said he was confident a substancial knock was just round the corner. ‘I knew deep inside that a big innings was around the corner. When you are batting well, you don’t think too much. All I had to think about was how to focus that bit extra between 40 and 50, and how I prepare for that phase before the match. It was just a mind game.
‘As I said, Ravi told me the next 10 runs after I reach will be important. When I reached the 40s, my whole aim was to concentrate harder. Once I crossed 50, I backed my natural game,’ he added.
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