Former India bowler Sanjay Manjrekar talked to Star Sports about how Ajinkya Rahane will approach the ICC World Test Championship Final. He said, “He (Rahane) was under a lot of pressure the last time he played for India. When a hitter goes up to bat and thinks that this could be the last time he bats in a test, it’s a tough time. That’s not a good place to be.
I don’t think he’ll be there anymore, since he’s seen what life is like after Test cricket and is almost like a retired player. Now that he has the chance, I think his mind will be a lot more open. People might think that his good play in the IPL helped him get picked and come back.
But he also had a good season in the first class. So, there might be some good in that. I’ve been there before. I was kicked off the Indian team. I have a lot of runs in first-class cricket, but test cricket is a whole different ball game. So, Ajinkya Rahane will be able to think more freely, but he will also have a lot of work to do.
Test cricket is different, and he is playing against some of the best players in the world. I don’t know what he’s going to do at bat. There are some signs that he’s back in shape, but it’s a whole new situation.”
India will play Australia in the WTC Final on June 7 at the Oval. Rahane is expected to play a key role and will be full of confidence after a great IPL 2023 season with the winners, the Chennai Super Kings. Ajinkya Rahane scored 326 runs in the IPL 2023, with an amazing strike rate of 172.49 and an average of 32.60 runs per game.
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