Rahane will be under pressure to perform in England: Vijay Bharadwaj

Along with Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian team Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will be on his third full Test tour of England. Rahane has played 10 Tests in England – five each the 2014 and 2018 tours – and averages 29.26, far below his career Test average of 41.29.

Rahane, who turns 33 on June 6, will be under pressure to perform in England as India squad for WTC final look to lay their hands on the inaugural ICC World Test Championship trophy, with the final beginning at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on June 18 as per WTC final schedule.

One of Karnataka’s most prolific batsman from the 1990s and first half of 2000s, Vijay Bharadwaj, felt that Rahane would be under immense pressure to perform in England.

Speaking to Sportskeeda.com in an exclusive interview, Bharadwaj had the following to say:

“Rahane will be under a lot of pressure. Rahane has, unfortunately, not lived up to the expectations. He has been struggling with consistency.”

He also added:

“Rahane should also be scoring at a faster rate as you already have Cheteshwar Pujara grinding the opposition attack and playing time. You don’t need another batsman to play slowly. When you look at the rules, a draw in the WTC final means sharing the trophy. To win the Test Championship title, you need batsmen to push the scoring rate. I know Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant will be scoring at a brisk pace and Rahane should also play positively.”

For the record, Rahane has scored four fifties and two centuries in his last 15 Tests (24 innings). Though he has often said that he has been in good touch and hitting the ball well according to the team’s requirements, the runs have eluded him of late.

Though his timely century in Melbourne was crucial to the team’s famous win towards the end of last year, Rahane has gone 11 Test innings with only one fifty (67 in the second Test against England earlier this year) since then.

Virat Kohli will be raring to go in England: Vijay Bharadwaj

Bharadwaj, who played in three Tests and 10 ODIs in 1999-2002, believes that the way India bats in the WTC final will hold the key. The former India batsman said:

“Virat Kohli will be raring to go in England, not just in the WTC final but also in the five-Test series. It will be great if India wins the WTC final, and they can carry that momentum into the Test series.”

However, Bharadwaj also cautioned that the openers needed to give the team a solid start. Rohit Sharma has played only one Test in England before, at the Rose Bowl in Southampton in 2014, scoring 28 and 6 in the lower middle order.

But much has changed since then, and Sharma has now become an indispensable opener in Tests too. For fellow opening batsman Shubman Gill, who has only seven Tests under his belt, this will be his first Test tour of England.

Bharadwaj, who toured England with India ‘A’ in 2003, said:

“One thing worrying is the inexperience of Gill in Tests and the inexperience of playing Tests in England for Rohit. For New Zealand to have the edge, they need to get Pujara and Kohli early into the crease. India will need a good start from Rohit and Gill. If the openers are fragile, the middle-order also looks fragile. That is the test Rohit has to pass.”

The fragile batting order is a worry: Vijay Bharadwaj

Gill may have played in England earlier with the India Under-19 side. But that is a different ball game, according to Bharadwaj, 45-year-old.

The former right-handed opening batsman, who is currently a popular commentator with the Star Sports Kannada channel and also has his own popular YouTube channel to discuss cricket, said:

“Playing first class cricket and under-19 in England are entirely different.”

Bharadwaj added that preparation for the World Test Championship would be the key for the Indian team:

“The team has to straightaway get into the match mould. It is not easy for batsmen to get set and then carry on. When you get set, it is important that you score a century. Rahul Dravid was able to do that with the kind of focus that he had. Rohit and Gill should not think that by scoring 40 or 50, their job is done. That said, the fragile batting order is a worrying factor.”

However, Bharadwaj maintained that the Indian team had the right balance to give them the WTC title. He believes New Zealand squad for WTC final would not be as effective as they are at home.

“My take is that New Zealand may not be as effective in England as they are in their own home conditions. India struggled in New Zealand when they toured early in 2020. They prepared green pitches to qualify for the WTC. But, that was not a reason for India to not do well there. India had a good fast bowling attack but batting let them down there."

He went on to add:

“It would not be difficult for India in the WTC final. India have a bowling attack. They have six fast bowlers with Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and either of Mohd Shami or Md Siraj in the starting line-up. The only thing that bothers me is the absence of a fast-bowling all-rounder. Hardik Pandya, though, will not be missed as India will fill that slot with two able spinning all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. That makes it eight batsmen including Jadeja and Ashwin, and then the fast bowlers to follow Rohit Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane and Rishabh Pant.”

Bharadwaj also recognised the importance of Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson's wicket. He went on to add that the New Zealanders would miss the presence of a quality spinner:

“They are better suited to bat in those conditions. They hardly play away from the body. They know how to push the scores and not get stuck. New Zealand have brilliant fast bowlers but no good spinner. If the Indian batsmen can sort out their fast bowlers, India can come on top. On paper, New Zealand is better. They are no more pushovers. It is up to India to prove they are a better prospect.”

Bharadwaj also said that another point to consider is the weather in England. He also lauded the Indian cricket board for sending the team to England early in order to get used to the conditions:

“Scheduling is most important. Going so much early gives the team lot of time for preparation. How they plan their schedule, playing quality matches before and in between Tests is vital. Also, the players will be travelling with their families. Otherwise, it will be mentally draining. It is a very important series and having the families also makes it easier.”

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not officially announced a limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in July, the board president and former India captain, Sourav Ganguly, has said that the Indian team will play three ODIs and five T20Is, subject to organizational hazards being overcome.

India will have to send a team of limited-overs specialists as several of the main players including Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja, Pant, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, among others, will be in England for the Tests.

Follow the latest WTC final score by clicking here.

Bharadwaj welcomed the move and said that India need not worry about players for the limited-overs format:

“India have so many players sitting on the bench. For example, Prithvi Shaw made a statement in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the IPL this year. The Sri Lanka tour, if finalised, will give him and other a big opportunity. Those who performed very well in IPL, like Devdutt Padikkal, if they get a chance and score straightaway, there will be a lot of pressure on the main players. India have got adequate resources to tap in Sri Lanka that they won’t miss their main players. And who better to learn from than to Rahul Dravid? It is important to have Dravid as the coach as the fringe players are monitored by the National Cricket Academy and Dravid is its head.”