Cheteshwar Pujara's approach at the crease in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington came under scanner as many felt the Indian No.3 should've batted a lot more positively than he did and not allow the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee & co to settle into their plans. 

Pujara, who was edged out early in the first innings, took a defensive approach to play 81 deliveries for just 11 runs in the second before he was eventually dismissed shouldering arms off left-arm seamer Boult. 

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However, Pujara's batting partner, teammate Ajinkya Rahane reckons people are reading too much into that knock as the right-hand batsman was only trusting his own methods of survival on a difficult surface facing a quality attack. 

"Pujara was trying his bit, he was actually looking to score runs. But I think Boult, Southee and all their bowlers did not give away much," Rahane told reporters ahead of the next Test in Christchurch, beginning February 29. "It is all about having that intent and I think Pujara was actually looking to score runs. It happens to all batsmen, I mean all batsmen go through that phase."

Rahane himself batted cautiously to make scores of 46 & 29 in India's ten-wicket defeat. "You have to come back stronger and play accordingly. If you can trust your ability at the centre and counter-attack and everyone's game is different," he said. 

"I play a completely different game than Virat and Pujara. As a team we need to figure it out how we are going to play in the middle, communication will be the key."

Like at the Basin Reserve, the Hagley Oval surface also has a thick covering of grass, as revealed in the morning on Thursday. And Rahane said, having played here for India A earlier this month, middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari felt the deck will offer good pace and bounce to the fast bowlers. 

"I generally don't see the wicket before the game. But see whatever we expected, we got in Wellington, we expect the same here. The India A guys played here and Hanuma (Vihari) was telling us that the wicket was much better."

"There is good pace and bounce on this wicket. We will have to see and assess the conditions very quickly on the first day of the game and play accordingly," Rahane added. 

(Inputs from PTI)