Mumbai: He is no giant. Rather, his meek and mild disposition is often misunderstood. On Sunday, a Herculean by the name of Mitchell Johnson challenged him and in turn, exposed the demon that resided within Ajinkya Rahane. The middle-class Mumbaikar, who used to travel in local trains to training grounds, raised eyebrows after his aggressive knock (147 off 171) against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The poetry Rahane wrote on the Australian soil included 21 articulate boundaries accompanied with swift running between the wickets with the in-form Virat Kohli. Otherwise, Johnson-the dragon clueless about the line to bowl, is not a usual sight.
Vidyadhar Paradkar – one of his coaches here– said, “I am happy to see the new Ajinkya. He was always behind the ball, ready to take the challenge. There is a massive change in his approach, he has become confident and very positive now.”
Rahane first went to Paradkar when he was 16. The man, better known as Vidya Sir to his disciples in South Mumbai, also happens to be veteran India bowler Zaheer Khan’s coach.
“From the beginning, he was compact, but he did not take much risks. In this knock, he smashed every loose ball. The height of the ball fluctuates in wickets like MCG, so it can be dangerous. But he was fearless. He has started watching the ball and going behind it,” added Paradkar.
The expert highlighted another facet of the right-hander’s technique. “One thing the selectors should take note, have you noticed his back foot? Well, since England, his feet movement improved in leaps and bounds, perfectly balanced with his downswing. His drives are a delight to watch. He knows how to measure the ball along with swing of the bat.
“He is no more the teenager who came to train under me in Police Gymkhana and followed wherever I moved. I remember he changed clubs whenever I did. After 19, a player usually becomes exceptionally matured or breaks down. With him, thankfully, it has been the former. He transformed his attitude into an attacking one, hooking the dangerous bowlers like Johnson and stepping out to spinners,” he added.
Paradkar also believed that his down-to-earth nature is another factor behind his success. How and why does he think so? “Well, even after playing for India, he used to come to Azad Maidan to check out batting drills. He had no air. He was ready to come to the maidan (ground) anytime. The last time when he came to Fort Vijay, he was mobbed.
After that, I told him not to come. College kids, women started crowding him. Pehle ke din gaye jab Ajinkya Rahane aata tha aur use dekhne koi nahi aata tha, abhi waisa nahi raha (Gone are the days when Ajinkya Rahane used to come to the ground and nobody would notice),” Paradkar said.
