Story Of Rahane That Shows The Dedication Required To Represent Ur Cou

[Yuva Nataratna]

Ajinkya who?

It was another of those countless cricket matches on the maidans of south Mumbai in the late 1990s. The opening bowler, nicknamed Anna, was a tall, athletic man, possibly in his mid-20s. In his day job, he was a waiter at a nearby Udipi eatery. But he had a thing for the new ball. Before his establishment opened for the day, he would charge in and bowl his heart out. If he felt he wasn't needed with the bat, he would leave to wait tables.Facing him that morning was a tiny boy, not ten yet. His worn-out bat looked too big for his small hands; his helmet, clearly too large for his head, sat loosely on its perch.

The first delivery pitched, climbed and crashed into the helmet. The boy went down. His team-mates were shocked. They thought he had cracked his head open. Everyone rushed to the middle. The boy was wailing.They made him drink some water, and told him to leave the field and return later, when the ball would be softer. Anna told the boy that he wouldn't be able to face him and it would be better if he left the field.The boy didn't say a word. All he did was cry, for about 15 minutes, until the umpire sounded the ultimatum - either bat or leave. That's when the boy got up, washed his face, wiped it with his forearm, like kids do, and took fresh guard. Anna charged in again.

Four, four, four, four, four - a blaze of cover drives and flicks."It was paining. But from inside, I was feeling that I do not want to show that pain. I did not know much back then, but I just felt like taking my time. I told myself I will not go off. I did not want to show [the bowler] my back."

More than a decade and a half later, in Durban in 2013, the boy, now a man, attempted to duck another bouncer. This too crashed into his helmet. But he wasn't crying this time. And there was no one offering water. Four deliveries later, another short ball arrived. And Ajinkya Rahane, batting on 5 in the first innings of his third Test, pulled Dale Steyn for four.

"I got hit and told myself to not react," Rahane said in an interview to theIndian Express. "Because had I shown pain, it would have given Steyn and the opposition immense confidence, and they would have probably got me out soon after. The world is watching you and by not reacting you show that you are mentally strong. The message to him was: bowl whatever you want and I will not lose focus."

Rahane remained unbeaten on 51. In the second innings, he was last man out for 96 in a total of 223. Two months later, in February, he made his maiden Test century, in Wellington. In July he scored a hundred at Lord's, emulating his idol, Rahul Dravid, who had been the last Indian to do so. From spending 18 of 19 Tests on the bench, and failing on debut, Rahane had become the first choice for the No. 5 slot.

It was a position India had struggled to fill since Sourav Ganguly's retirement in 2008. And here was a little guy batting fluently in countries where raw Indian batsmen were expected to crumble. He was riding the bounce and punching boundaries off the back foot in South Africa. He was leaning into drives in New Zealand. He was leaving calmly in England, and often willing good deliveries through the covers. He made more runs on those three tours combined than any of his team-mates.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan called him "the best technical player" in the Indian team. Former Australia captain Greg Chappell was impressed enough to say that "across a range of conditions against a range of oppositions" Rahane was likely to be consistent.

"Anyone who plays with him knows he is a tough kid," says Dravid. "He has got a steel about him."

Full article, u can read here: http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/816341/ajinkya-who

 

[sivudu]

sHa_clap4  sHa_clap4

[aakpak_karepak007]

GP

[aragorn]

(.L@ (.L@ (.L@  GP

[Yuva Nataratna]

Around 2am one night, someone knocked on the Rajasthan Royals director of cricket's hotel-room door. It was Rahane, who wanted to discuss his batting.

 

It was around 2am one night in Kolkata when someone knocked on Bharucha's hotel-room door. It was Rahane, who wanted to discuss his batting.

"He is at you all the time. And in fact, he was batting well, he had just had a few low scores." Bharucha says that Rahane is "paranoid" about practice. At times, Bharucha had to tell him to stay in the hotel, since all the net bowlers were tired. Rahane was so engrossed in practising with Amre this year that the coach had to order a cake to be delivered to the nets on his birthday. In September, he practised till two days before his wedding. After returning from England this year, he cut short a leisure trip to resume practice. Former India and Mumbai fast bowler Ajit Agarkar jokes that Rahane should take a bowling machine wherever he goes. Dravid calls Rahane one of the most hard-working guys he has known. If Rahul Dravid has to tell you to "relax and chill", you probably need to.

But Amre believes Rahane is starting to lighten up. "When he got a hundred in England, he never batted [in the nets]. Instead of wasting his entire energy in the nets, he kept it for the next day's play. We had a couple of sessions on handling energy. Sometimes you are practising because you are not ready or you are doubting yourself. Once you are confident, you are waiting for the match rather than having long net sessions."

[kiladi bullodu]

Moral

If u go to strip club and u like a dancer do go flatly and goku her take your time and let her come to u . In this way u can bargain the rates

[Avataar]

GP ...I think he is much better than pujara...

[Darshwana]

sachin interview chusa okati.. after his book launch i guess.. he said retirement ayi dressing room nunchi velle last time.. he spoke with rahane personally and said u have very good attitude keep going anesi 

[Yuva Nataratna]

Moral

If u go to strip club and u like a dancer do go flatly and goku her take your time and let her come to u . In this way u can bargain the rates

[Maximus]

[ronitreddy]

GP ...I think he is much better than pujara...

 

I second that..

[sigsegv]

aasalni nijam cheyya raa rahane .. 

[timmy]

first 20 runs he doesn't look like a batsmen after that he looks like a pro.