Just Want To Give The Openers The Freedom So That They Can Play Their Game: Ajinkya Rahane

Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane has acknowledged that the role of the openers will once again be crucial to the visitor’s fortunes in the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but he has also asserted that he does not want to put additional pressure on them as he wants to give them complete freedom to play their natural game.

As has been the case with almost every overseas tour, the failure of the openers was one of the biggest talking points after the eight-wicket defeat that the Men in Blue suffered at the Adelaide Oval.

In both the innings, India got off to a horrendous start with the Australian bowlers exploiting the glaring chink in Prithvi Shaw’s technique. Mayank Agarwal looked gritty in the first innings but failed to convert the start he had got into a big knock. In the second innings, Agarwal fell to a rampaging Josh Hazlewood. India have dropped Prithvi Shaw from the Boxing Day Test and debutant Shubman Gill will open the innings alongside Mayank Agarwal, who would be looking to repeat his performances of two summers ago at the ‘G.

“See the opener’s role not only in Australia but everywhere is really crucial and I don’t want to put any pressure on our openers. Just want to give them freedom so that they can play their game,” Ajinkya Rahane told ANI during the virtual press-conference on the eve of the Boxing Day Test.

India will be without its talisman Virat Kohli in the next three Tests as the charismatic skipper has traveled back home in order to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Ajinkya Rahane admitted that the team will certainly miss the champion batsman as they aim to exorcise the horrors of the Adelaide Test and stage a fightback in the four-match series.

“Having said that as mentioned, openers’ role is very crucial when you get that partnership going it becomes really easy for the coming batsmen. We definitely miss Virat (Kohli), obviously when you have him it’s a great thing so we will definitely miss him as he is not there,” he added.

Also Read- It’s All About Staying In The Moment: Ajinkya Rahane Ahead Of The Boxing Day Test