A lot will depend on how India’s batting performs as they attempt to win a Test series in England for the first time in 14 years. Over the last three tours, particularly in 2014 and 2018, India’s batting has struggled to cope with Duke’s ball in England, resulting in a 1-3 loss in 2014 and a 1-4 defeat in 2018.
While there are several young players in the squad, India’s middle-order is led by the top three batsmen in the world in Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane. However, none of the three batsmen are in the form that they are accustomed to. While Pujara has failed to score a Test fifty in his last seven innings, Kohli has looked good in patches.
Rahane made headlines in 2014 when he hit a century at Lord’s, and former India batsman VVS Laxman has some advice for the country’s No. 5 Test batsman. “Ajinkya Rahane is a very important member of this Indian batting line-up, especially in overseas conditions. I still remember the way he batted at Lord’s, in Melbourne and also the way he batted in South Africa was instrumental in India winning those Test matches,” Laxman said during a discussion on Star Sports.
Rahane has only scored fifty once in 13 innings since his match-winning century against Australia in Melbourne last year. Rahane also managed two fifty-plus scores in ten innings the last time he played in England. Clearly, Rahane must be at his best this time if India is to have a chance of ending their winless streak in England, which Laxman believes they will.
“The one thing I feel that Ajinkya Rahane has to sort out is his game plan against short-pitched deliveries. We saw that in the series against New Zealand, we also saw that in the World Test Championship final,” the former India batsman added.
