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Tribune News Service
Indore, september 23
It’s tough to focus and perform when you aren’t the first choice for a particular job. As far as ODIs are concerned, Ajinkya Rahane is going through a bit of uncertainty. Having been pushed up and down the order, the team has finally decided to give him the slot of a back-up opener. He gets a look-in only when either of the two first-choice openers, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, isn’t available for some reason.
But the ice-cool Rahane is not losing any sleep over it, and is focussing on making the best of whatever opportunities he gets. In the current series, he got a chance because Dhawan pulled out at the last moment for the first three ODIs to tend to his ailing wife. “I don’t think about the future. I do my best whenever I get my opportunities,” said Rahane, when asked about his role as a stop-gap opener. “I always think about staying in the present. When Shikhar comes back, we don’t know what’s going to happen. For me, the important thing is to give my all for the team.”
Rahane also made light of the adjustment that a batsman need to make while playing at different positions. “It’s a completely mental adjustment. The good thing in this team is that anyone can bat anywhere. We have that flexibility. I have batted at the top, No. 3, 4 and 5. It’s important to handle and utilise that situation. If you adjust in mind, you can bat anywhere,” said Rahane.
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