Ajinkya Rahane was not selected for the first two matches of the tour.
There has been plenty of debate and discussion over Ajinkya Rahane's non-inclusion in the first two Tests in South Africa. India lost both the tests and Rahane returned to the squad for the third test, playing an important role in the Indian victory. However, Rahane said that he was fine with the India team management’s decision to drop him.
India's test vice-captain also feels that India could have won the Test series too. "If we had a good partnership in the first two Tests, we could have won the series. Had we won in all three formats, our tour would have been complete," Rahane told Hindustan Times.
He also praised the Indian bowlers, "Our bowlers were excellent in those conditions and taking 60 wickets is no mean feat. We must also not forget that South Africa played better cricket, especially in Tests. They didn’t let our batsmen settle down. "
Rahane, who will play for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, expressed his excitement at the prospect of working with Shane Warne. The Australian has joined the squad as mentor.
"The best thing about Shane Warne is he is very instinctive. He takes decisions that no one can anticipate and has a solid cricket brain," Rahane said.
However, he will miss the presence of his role model Rahul Dravid. "We played together and then he was mentor. His inputs helped us a lot as a team as well as individually. I have learnt so many things from him."
He said that he is motivated cement his place in the India T20 side and the Mumbai Premier League and IPL were his chances to regain his place.
Rahane also talked about his equation with Virat Kohli, both off and on the field. "We enjoy each other’s company on the field, whether we bat together or stand in the slips. We discuss a lot of cricket, talk about our plans and goals during partnerships."
He said that he has a good working relationship with the captain.
"Whatever we think as captain and vice-captain, it’s for the good of the team... we respect each other’s decisions. Our thinking is like that. It’s a team sport so you have to stay together and back each other."
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