advised the Indian batters to be ‘proactive’ against Sri Lankan spinners in the upcoming two-match Test series, beginning at Galle from August 15.
Rahane had played a stellar role in India’s 3-0 series sweep during the 2017 tour to the island nation, scoring over 200 runs with a hundred and a fifty.
“I think in Sri Lanka, the first day wicket generally is very good. But being on top of the bowler as a batsman is very important. That’s what I have learned in Sri Lanka. You cannot be too defensive,” Rahane, who recently announced his retirement, told PTI in an interview facilitated by ETPL.
Ajinkya Rahane
Rahane said the presence of quality spinners in the Sri Lanka line-up makes it imperative for Indian batters to be their dominant self.
“You have to probably be more proactive because they will have spin friendly wickets, and Sri Lanka do have decent spinners in their side. And again, a home team is always a tough team to beat. Whatever I’ve learned playing cricket for so many years, you can’t take anyone lightly.
“So it’s all about, I think, having your own game plan as an individual and being proactive. Even in Test cricket, it’s going to be the key,” he added.
Rahane, once an all format player for India, said the batting dynamics of Test cricket have changed completely in recent years, especially with the T20 format gaining more popularity. “The game has evolved massively. Talking about Test cricket, you see now a lot of T20 players do play in Test cricket as well. The scoop, the laps, switch hit, reverse sweep are being played and that too consistently. I think it is a very good thing,” he said.
For Rahane, adaptation holds key in modern day cricket. “The players need to adapt to different formats very quickly because that’s the mindset you want now. As soon as the Test gets over, probably within a week, you’re playing T20, you’re playing ODIs or after T20, you are straight away going into Test cricket. So having that mindset, the adaptability is really, really important,” he noted.