India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli said that the team is not too much concerned about losing the No.1 position in the longest format of cricket as they don’t play for rankings.

Also Watch: ndia vs West Indies | Highlights of Virat Kohli’s Record breaking Century

India had to win the fourth and final Test against hosts West Indies to hold on to their No.1 Test spot, but with rain playing spoilsport, and the match ending in a draw, Pakistan were promoted to No.1 spot from second for the first time.

India had already won the Test series 2-0 against the West Indies.
“Had Pakistan not won, had we drawn the last game, the rankings would have looked different again. It is a very short-term incentive because we understand that the points’ table is very close,” Kohli told reporters after winning the series here.

“But as a team we think we can assess ourselves at the end of this season, not one Test at a time,” he added.

“The other teams have played more games than us and we need to play as many games to be able to compare after the whole season is done. Rankings keep going up and down, and you don’t play for rankings. You want to be the best side in the world and that has always been our aim.”

Kohli also praised seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, terming the duo as the biggest positive of the tour.

Both Ashwin and Saha struck a century each in the third Test to help India recover from the top-order batting collapse in the first innings.

“It’s been a pretty good tour for us. We had come here looking to improve in a few areas and we have done that. For me, the biggest positive is Wriddhiman Saha getting runs in the lower order, plus R Ashwin coming good at No 6,” he said.

“I hope we can keep on improving this aspect of our game because there are positions, which matter a lot in Test cricket. Whenever teams have done consistently well in Test cricket, their lower order has always contributed. So, those were the areas for us to solidify,” the skipper added.

Team India now travels to Florida to play two-match Twenty20 International series against the West Indies on August 27-28.

But the big Test starts when New Zealand travels to India to kick off the long home season. The first of the 13 Tests begins in Kanpur in September. And Kohli said his team is right on track.

“It is very important to be selfless in the team and it is a quality of this team. This team has developed this attitude and we have to keep at it if we want to become the best team in the world,” the 27-year-old added.

It took an edged boundary to the third man for Ajinkya Rahane to reach his seventh Test hundred. But it is the composed celebration that followed afterwards, that has made us admire the cricketer even more. In this age of brash chest thumping and air punching, Rahane’s mild manners come in as a breath of fresh air.

After reaching his third Test hundred in last four innings, this is what the Mumbai batsman did. Lifted both hands to the air, hugged his batting partner Umesh Yadav and stole a glance to the sky thanking the Almighty. No doubt these were not bereft of emotion but done with the restraint that has become synonymous with Rahane.      

When the entire Indian team stood up to applaud, there was only genuine admiration for the man from Dombivali, Mumbai. This is what Rahane had to say to the media after scoring the hundred, “I was disappointed with the way I got out in the first Test. But, whether we play in India or abroad, what’s important for me is my process and preparations. I never think about scoring hundreds. I think the results will follow as long as I prepare well and my processes are right. I think about the small things that are helpful for me. At the same time scoring a hundred here is special, getting to the three-figure mark is really special for a batsman.”

Also Watch: Ajinkya Rahane Hits a Classy Hundred | India vs West Indies 2nd Test

A monk-like calmness hides a steely resolve that lies underneath, which is manifested in many of Rahane’s knocks in the middle. His unbeaten 108 off 237 balls in the second Test against the West Indies is one such example of sheer determination. The 28 year old’s martial arts background (Rahane is a black belt in Karate) has certainly helped him focus on the job better.

It’s a pure joy to watch Rahane in action in the field. The silken touch combined with gifted timing, makes him a class act. His safe hands in the slips and brilliant out fielding abilities have been a big bonus. But what sets him apart from others is the unique desire to fight against all odds and emerge victorious.

Ajinkya Rahane – The making of a Wall

The long wait to don the national cap

His struggle began early. After many sacrifices, he made his first class debut for Mumbai while still in his teens. Despite scoring heavily year after year in the domestic circuit, the national selectors looked the other way. Many of his contemporaries like Rohit Sharma, Robin Uthappa with less impressive domestic batting records got their chance ahead of him.

Rahane was not the one to get frustrated and instead kept scoring heavily to force himself into reckoning. His One-day debut finally came in 2011 and he had to wait another couple of years for his maiden Test appearance. But his stock in Test cricket arena rose sharply and soon he became the most dependable Indian batsman overseas; with five of his seven Test hundreds coming away from home.

Mastering the T20 challenge

When he realised IPL and Twenty20 is here to stay, Rahane went back to the drawing board – in this case to his batting coach Praveen Amre. Concentrated on building his forearm strength, in an effort to clear the boundaries in the Powerplay overs, while opening the batting for Rajasthan Royals. Indeed it helped him make a mark in IPL as an opener.

Dropped after being integral part of the team

Many eyebrows were raised when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped Rahane last year from the one-day playing XI in Bangladesh. It looked like Rahane had done enough to cement his place in all formats. Not only was he dropped but also Dhoni’s open criticism in the press conference afterwards must not have helped. “We all felt that Ajinkya would do really well as a third opener,” said Dhoni. “But we have had to move him up and down to the order. Thing is, Rahane needs pace. We have seen that he plays a lot better when there is pace on a wicket. Whenever he has played at No. 4 or No. 5, if the wicket is slow, then he struggles to rotate the strike freely. Especially when he is just starting his innings, he has a bit of trouble.”

Rahane never sulked and tried to take it positively. In a surprising move, the national selectors showed their full faith in Rahane and picked him to captain the team touring Zimbabwe as top players were rested. It was a tough few weeks for Rahane, from being dropped to being named captain of Team India.  But the resolute man that he is, Rahane was praised for his captaincy in Zimbabwe as India won the ODI series 3-0. Since then Rahane is slowly clawing his way back into India’s limited overs side.

 High Praise from his mentor

Coming from Mumbai it’s no surprise Rahane looked up to Sachin Tendulkar for inspiration and got his place in the sun only after Tendulkar hung up his bat. And this is what Sachin wrote about Rahane in his book Playing it My Way, “I had known Rahane for years and had seen how much he loves the game. He has served cricket with complete dedication and commitment over the last few years. I said to him that he might feel hard done by what had happened in his career so far, but should continue to be the way he is, for I was sure Ajinkya would get another chance.” Looking at how Rahane’s career has shaped up and the way he has conducted himself both on and off the field, Sachin must be really proud of this fellow Mumbaikar. 

By Rajesh Sahu (rajesh@glinttv.com)

Ajinkya Rahane is a class act. A monk-like calmness might hide his steely resolve. That is manifested in many of his knocks. Rahane’s unbeaten 108 off 237 balls in the second Test match against the West Indies is one such and the Mumbai batsman will take pride in it.

This is Rahane’s third Test century in his last four innings. Batting at the difficult position of number 5, mostly with the tail-enders, is tough. But Rahane, who mostly bats at number 3 in the domestic circuit, has thrived at the difficult number 5 position. Rahane’s latest century came studded with 13 fours and three sixes.

Also Watch: India vs West Indies Highlights | KL Rahul’s magnificent hundred

Out of his seventh Test tons, five have come away from home. In the last 8 consecutive Test series, Rahane has made at least one score of 90 or more.

KL Rahul scores a magnificent 158 in the second Test match against West Indies. This is the Indian openers third hundred in his sixth Test match. All of the Karnataka batsman’s tons have come away from home.

Rahul becomes the second Indian player to convert their first three Test fifties into hundreds after Mohammad Azharuddin, who had scored three 100s in his first 3 Test matches.

The Indian opener also becomes the third Indian player who’s scored their first three or more Test centuries all away from home. Rahul has scored centuries in Australia, Sri Lanka and now in West Indies.

At stumps on Day 2 of the second Test match, Team India was at an commanding position (385/5), leading the hosts by 162 runs.

India vs West Indies 2nd Test Highlights

A brisk 75 ball off 114 by KL Rahul and Ravichandran Ashwin’s 18th five-wicket haul put India in a commanding position after the first day of the second Test match against the West Indies.

Also Read: KL Rahul the new poster boy of Indian cricket after Virat Kohli

Electing to bat first, the host could manage 196 all out. This is the West Indies’ shortest fist innings score against India after electing to bat first. Indian pacers Ishant Sharma and Mohd Shami took two wickets each.

Also Watch: India vs West Indies Highlights | Ashwin takes 7 wickets | India win 1st Test

Rahul got an opportunity to be in the playing XI, after Murali Vijay had to sit out due to an injury. The reserve Test opened capitalised the opportunity with both hands. His 75 not out came in 114 balls and studded with ten boundaries. His 50 came off in only 58 balls. At stumps on day one, India had reached 126 for 1 with Cheteshwar Pujara batting on 18 along side Rahul.

Ravichandran Ashwin wrecked havoc on the West Indies. His 7-wicket haul in the second innings gave India an innings and 92 run victory over the hosts. After Virat Kohli’s double hundred it was the turn of Ashwin to turn the hero for India. After scoring a century in India’s first innings, the India all rounder took 7 wickets for 83 runs.

Ashwin is the third player to score a ton and take a 7-wicket haul in the same Test. With this, Ashwin emulated England’s former all rounder Ian Botham, who had also scored a ton and taken a 5-wicket haul in same Test twice. Ashwin’s bowling figure of 7/83 in the second innings is the best by Indian bowler in West Indies. Ashwin’s 17 five-wicket hauls in 33 Tests so far Most by a spinner.  Ashwin won his 5th Man of the Match Award in Tests. India’s innings-and-92-run win against WI, is the biggest Test victory outside Asia.

There’s no stopping Virat Kohli.

The Indian captain scored his first-ever double hundred as India put up a commanding 566 for 8 (declared) in their first innings against West Indies. It is Virat’s first double century at any format, at any level.

Promoted to no. 6, all rounder Ravichandran Ashwin (113) scored his third Test hundred. All his 100s have been scored against the West Indies. Sachin Tendulkar too has scored three tons against West Indies during his Test career.

Virat and Ashwin shared a record fifth wicket stand of 168-run. Leg spinner Amit Mishra also added the hosts misery by cracking a half century (53) to put up a mammoth total for India. In reply, the West Indies managed to score 33 for 1 at stumps on day two of the first Test match at Antigua. Mohd Shami took the wicket for India.

Virat Kohli’s brilliant century gave India a solid start in the first Test of their West Indies tour. India scored a mammoth 302 for 4 wickets on the first opening day of the first Test match at Antigua. Virat Kohli’s scored an unbeaten 143 off 197 balls, his first century against the West Indies.

The Indian captain made his Test debut in West Indies in 2011 but averaged just 15.20 in five innings. In a record-breaking effort Kohli crossed the 3000-run mark in his 42nd Test.

In Test match cricket, Kohli has hit 12 tons and 12 fifties so far. The hundred against the WI is Kohli’s fifth as Test captain. Kohli has scored tons in Australia and Sri Lanka while as captain. It has taken Kohli only 20 innings to score his last 1000 runs. This superb run of form for Kohli continues after an unprecedented 973 runs, including four centuries in the 9th edition of IPL. Kohli is the third Indian captain to score a century in West Indies after Kapil Dev and Rahul Dravid. And this is what one of the greatest cricketer Viv Richards had to say about after Virat’s ton. “When he last toured West Indies, he was a rookie. But now he has grown into a man. That was a marvellous ton.