Speaking at a pre-match briefing on Monday, India's Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane shared his satisfaction with his contribution to the Lord’s Test. By scoring 61 in the second innings, he helped steer India toward a decisive 151-run win. Despite the success, Rahane noted that he remains unfazed by the ongoing criticism regarding his form.
Indian Team Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane attended a pre-match conference on Monday. Ajinkya Rahane said that he was satisfied with his batting in the 2nd innings of the Lord’s Test. He contributed 61 runs to India’s total, which helped India to win the second test with a margin of 151 runs. Ajinkya Rahane said he is not much worried about the criticism.
There have been loud calls from supporters and senior cricketing figures to drop Rahane from the squad following a dry spell with the bat. His statistics reflect this struggle, with only two scores over 50 in his last 16 innings and no Test centuries since his unbeaten effort against Australia a year ago.
Rahane clarified that both he and Pujara are tuning out the negativity, viewing it as irrelevant background noise. He stressed that the focus should remain on the team's overall synergy rather than focusing on individual milestones.
With years of international experience, Rahane believes that he and Pujara possess the mental toughness needed for these difficult situations. This comes at a time when Cheteshwar Pujara is also struggling, lacking a half-century in his last 10 appearances. Rahane highlighted that their partnership during the second innings at Lord’s was a pivotal moment in the match.
Wrapping up the session, Rahane stated that their priority is executing the team's strategy to ensure a win. India is set to face England once again on August 25th at the Headingley stadium.