Ajinkya Rahane reveals how World Cup snub made him "sit back and introspect"

Ajinkya Rahane wasn't considered for India's 50-over World Cup squad in UK.

Rahane has played 90 ODIs for India | GettyIt wasn't easy watching his India teammates strive for the World Cup glory without him, as Ajinkya Rahane explained; he was playing for Hampshire in the county championship at the time, with his last ODI for India more than a year back, forced to instead focus his energies in overcoming his Test match struggles through the grind in difficult conditions in UK. 

It is then, the man's strong temperament came to the fore, as he looked to control only the controllables and regained the lost ground with regards to his batting in red-ball cricket. 

Read Also: Ajinkya Rahane reflects upon comeback from Test struggles

"At times, we get too caught up in our pursuit of success and then we suddenly realise that we are required to just stop, sit back and introspect. I did exactly that when I wasn’t selected for the 2019 World Cup," Rahane told PTI

The 31-year-old bounced back in Test cricket with stellar showing during the national tour to the Caribbean and then carried that form to the home season where he dominated the South African and Bangladeshi bowling attacks. 

And Rahane thanks the county experience for this timely resurgence. "I am in a very good space right now and it started from the West Indies series. I was in England, playing county cricket where I learnt a lot not only as a cricketer but also as a human being," he said. "In two months, I played seven games. So it wasn’t always about on-field learnings but also about off-field learning."

"I sometimes walked alone in the parks, at times jogged. Sometimes I would simply sit with a cup of coffee thinking about past days, thinking about my younger days, what used to be my mindset when I played club cricket or age group cricket before I made my international debut. I needed some answers and got them," he added. 

Talking to the great Rahul Dravid, current NCA head, helped quite a lot as well. "Conversations with Rahul bhai also helped me get those answers that I should keep my batting really simple. Take one game at a time. Be in a positive mindset," he said. 

"So now, I am in a very good mindspace. Whatever happened earlier is gone. Now I have to focus on upcoming things."

Rahane, it is not that he has given up on his future for India in white-ball cricket, but is now in a better mental space where he is solely concerned over the present, which sees him currently turn up for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy before the next Test assignment for India in New Zealand next February. 

(Inputs from PTI)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 27 Dec, 2019

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