COLOMBO: There was an instance late on Saturday evening that fully embodied the understated virtues on which Ajinkya Rahane has built his game. Scampering for a quick run, he realised he has to hurry to make the crease in time. So he covered the angle of the throw, shook off the path like a zigzagging automobile, and lunged full-on to the ground, almost taking out the bowler, Tharindu Kaushal, in the process. He emerged from the crash-landing with flannels creased with dirt. He is not averse to getting dirty or sweaty.
Thrust him into any situation, entrust him with the hardest of responsibilities, ask him to fire-walk or walk on ropes, Rahane would oblige without a trace of grouse or reluctance. He is the team’s ever-approachable yes man. The selfless team-man, the gladiator, amidst wannabe galacticos, who makes tough runs in tough times and the one that distances himself from the claustrophobic arc-lights and carrying his chores without the slightest hubris and sense of self-importance. He is like the old mastercard ad, “There are some things that money can’t buy. But for everything else there is mastercard.” For everything else, Team India has Rahane.
So, it was hardly a surprise that he was designated to the number three spot, instead of a trauma-ridden Rohit Sharma, a strategy which in hindsight has killed two birds in one stone. Rahane, with his fourth Test hundred, has demonstrated that he has the skillset, technically and temperamentally, to succeed at this spot.
The message was conveyed the day before the Test, and Rahane quickly streamlined what he required to prosper. “I’m willing to bat wherever the team wants me to. It was more of a mental than technical adjustment. I spoke to Sanjay (Bangar) and Ravi bhai (Shastri), and they assured me I could do the job, since I normally bat at number three for Mumbai,” he said.
Despite the experience of having opened in shorter versions, coming at number three in Tests was clearly out of his comfort zone. It defied common sense too, to pluck out your prolific number five and baptize him to number three, the demands being widely different. Rahane could have been pardoned if he had felt hesitant, but such petty thoughts he would keep askance. “They (Shastri and Bangar) told me to play as close to the body as possible. Every Test hundred is special. But this was very special, as it was challenging to bat in a new position and it was hot out there. Once I reached the 80s, I just wanted to take a single and give the strike to the other batsman.” he said.
By happenstance or not, India have an interim relief at the troubled position. But Rahane feels it’s too early to judge whether he’s long-term option. “I’m just looking at the present, which I’m obviously enjoying. To me, whichever position I bat, I want to put my best effort,” he said.
Maybe, if KL Rahul was not around, he might have been requested to keep the wickets too, after Wriddhiman Saha pulled his hamstring while batting. And Rahane would have accepted it without any qualms as well. He’s simply built that way.
Scoreboard
India 1st innings: 393
Sri Lanka 1st innings 306
India 2nd innings (overnight 70-1): Vijay lbw Kaushal 82, Rahul b Prasad 2, Rahane c Chandimal b Kaushal 126, Kohli lbw Kaushal 10, Rohit c Mubarak b Kaushal 34, Binny c Thirimanne b Prasad 17, Saha (not out) 13, Ashwin c Chandimal b Prasad 19, Mishra c Mubarak b Prasad 10, Yadav (not out) 4. Extras (lb4, w3, nb1) 8. Total (for 8 wkts decl, 91 overs) 325. Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-143, 3-171, 4-256, 5-262, 6-283, 7-311, 8-318. Bowling: Prasad 15-0-43-4, Herath 29-4-96-0, Chameera 14-0-63-0, Mathews 2-1-1-0, Kaushal 31-1-118-4.
Sri Lanka 2nd innings: Silva c Binny b Ashwin 1, Karunaratne (batting) 25, Sangakkara c Vijay b Ashwin 18, Mathews (batting) 23. Extras: (lb4, nb1) 5. Total (for two wickets, 21 overs) 72. Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-33. Bowling: Ashwin 10-5-27-2, Yadav 2-0-10-0, I. Sharma 4-0-18-0 (nb1), Mishra 5-1-13-0.
STAT OF THE ART
2868 International runs scored by Sangakkara in 2014 (1493 in Tests, 1256 in ODIs, 119 in T20Is), the most by any batsman in a year.
624 Highest Test partnership for any wicket – 624 for the third wicket by Kumar Sangakkara (287) and Mahela Jayawardene (374) against South Africa in 2006.
38 Has scored 38 centuries in Test cricket. Only Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45) and Ricky Ponting (41) have more.
16 Man-of-the-Match awards, is fifth in list of players with most awards, led by Jacques Kallis (23), followed by Muttiah Muralitharan (19) and Wasim Akram and Shane Warne (17 each).
57.59 Average second only to Garry Sobers (57.78) among batsmen with 8000+ Test runs. Average since he started to play as specialist batsman (around 2006) is 67.39, second only to Don Bradman’s 99.94.