IPL 2023: 'Would want to play a Test here' - CSK's Ajinkya Rahane after his Wankhede dominance against MI
IPL 2023: Ajinkya Rahane was on a roll against Mumbai Indians for Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai on Saturday, playing a valiant knock of 61. Meanwhile, he expressed his desire to play a Test at his domestic home venue.
FollowAjinkya Rahane never gives up, and after surprising the cricketing world with the fastest fifty of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the out-of-favour India batter yearns to play a Test match at his home ground. On former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) debut, Rahane smashed seven fours and three sixes in his 61 from just 27 balls, and the fastest fifty of the season came off just 19 balls. Chasing 158 against former five-time record champion Mumbai Indians (MI), CSK finished at 159/3 in 18.1 overs.
"I always enjoy playing at Wankhede. I have never played a Test here. I would want to play a Test here," said Rahane, who led India to a famous Test series win in Australia in 2021. Rahane was not supposed to start the game, but an injury to Moeen Ali gave him an opportunity.
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"There is still a long way to go. Today, I was not sure about my place in the eleven. I got to know just before the toss. For me, it is about playing one game at a time and staying in the moment," Rahane told the media on Saturday night. Anything can happen. Today, I needed clarification about my game. I will never give up. It is about playing with enjoyment and passion," added Rahane.
"Whatever format I play, it is about giving my best every time, rather than thinking about the future, [things] which is not in my hand, not in my control, for me, it's all about giving my best every time and be as positive as possible, and whenever I get an opportunity I should be ready for that," Rahane further communicated.
Rahana was dropped from the Test team following the tour of South Africa in January 2022. While Cheteshwar Pujara was able to make a comeback, Rahane couldn't. The 34-year-old said the knowledge of his home ground helped him play the way he did. "I just got to know before the toss that I am playing. Unfortunately, Moeen was unwell. I know this wicket well and have an idea of how the wicket was playing or how the ball was behaving. That helped me," he declared.
"When I went in, it was about playing my normal game. The intent was outstanding. My preparation was excellent. We had a perfect camp before coming here and had a good domestic season, batting wise I was feeling terrific. I am happy that I did well and we won the game," added Rahane.
As he often does, Rahane played pure cricketing shots to regal the crowd. MI head coach Mark Boucher said Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner's spin bowling hurt his side more than Rahane's knock. "It is difficult to look at our bowlers and their batters when we need more runs on the board. In a T20 [Twenty20] cricket game, especially now that you have got impact players," he explained.
"We had seven frontline batters today to get, but 157/8 was not good enough. With that start [61/1 in six overs], we probably should have got 180-190, and then, we could have judged our bowling. Rahane played some good cricketing shots. But I think it is more about the bowling that did us at the end of the day. The bowling hurt us more than Rahane's batting," Boucher concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)
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