India vs England 2021: We Don't Tell Foreign Players Everything When We Play In IPL - Ajinkya Rahane
Published - 04 Feb 2021, 03:20 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:40 AM
Ahead of the first Test match in Chennai against England, India’s Test vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane says that the players don’t share all their vulnerabilities or weaknesses with the foreign players while playing in the IPL.
Ajinkya Rahane, who led India to a comeback series victory in Australia, has played with Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Jofra Archer during his time at the Rajasthan Royals; all three players will be playing against Rahane in the Test series.
However, the right-hander points out that IPL is T20 format and Test cricket is altogether a different format – the balls played with are also different in T20 and Test cricket. The Delhi Capitals batsman asserts that the lengths which the bowlers bowl in T20 and in Test cricket also vary, hence, there is not much a player could have an advantage over the opposition based on observation in the IPL.
As quoted by Hindustan Times, Ajinkya Rahane said, “What we do in IPL, it’s not like we tell them all the things and I think that is very important. Yes, we have played a lot of cricket together, but when you represent the country, it is all about how best you can give individually and as a team.”
“See, we definitely play in the IPL, but Test cricket and IPL are completely different. We do know how their bowlers bowl here, but length (that one bowls) is completely different in Test cricket from what they are in white-ball (formats),” he added.
England have a very balanced squad: Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane, who struck a memorable century recently in Melbourne, reckons Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are key players for the visitors. The 32-year-old beliefs even apart from those two mentioned players, the Three Lions have a balanced squad with which they whitewashed Sri Lanka in Galle.
Ajinkya Rahane maintains that they have to plan for individuals and play as a team and keep faith in their strengths – something which helped them conquer Australia despite several major players missing.
“Ben Stokes and (Jofra) Archer, they are really good players. They did really well for England, so it is not about any individual. I think it is all about a team, England team, they are a very balanced outfit which did really well recently against Sri Lanka. So for us, what is important is that we plan against all their guys and just play as a team here and back our strengths,” the vice-captain further said.
While Joe Root’s side is on a 4 Test series winning streak, the Indian team which won the Test series Down Under is bolstered by the return of skipper, Virat Kohli and senior pacer, Ishant Sharma.
Both teams will look not only to win the series but win it by a significant margin to book a place in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s against Kane Williamson’s New Zealand.
