India cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid said that Ajinkya Rahane’s batting form is not a worry for him.
India and New Zealand ended the engrossing Test match in a draw after the visitors remained firm in the final session to end at 165 for nine.
New Zealand tail-enders Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel displayed a rock-solid defence in the final nine overs of the game to defy the Indian spinners.
India just needed one wicket to seal the game but the New Zealand spinners were great at blocking the balls to deny them a victory.
It’s a matter of a game when Ajinkya Rahane would like to turn it around: Rahul Dravid
Rahane, who is leading India as the stand-in skipper in Virat Kohli’s absence, could just add four runs to India’s tally in the second innings. Instead, he was trapped before the wicket by New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel.
Rahane’s dismal batting form was once again into the limelight after once again failing to score big runs but Dravid said it is just a matter of innings for the senior batter to turn things around.
“I mean you don’t get worried. Of course, you would like more runs from Ajinkya, he would like to score more runs. He is a quality player and he has done well for India in the past. He is one of those guys who has quality and experience and it’s a matter of a game when he would like to turn it around and he knows that and we know that,” Dravid said in the press conference after the first Test.
“Look, we haven’t decided what will be our playing XI (in the next Test) and it’s too early. At least, today our focus was on this game and when we go to Mumbai, we will assess the conditions and check people’s fitness. Virat Kohli will join us so we have to discuss with him also and then take a decision,” he added.
Great to see young guys perform straightaway on debut: Rahul Dravid on Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer, who scored a century in his debut innings, once again top-scored for India with 65 runs from 125 balls in the second innings to help India set New Zealand a target of 284.
Dravid said it was great for a youngster to step up and take the charge of scoring in his debut game.
“It’s great to see the young guys come through and perform straightaway on debut and we saw that with one or two of the players in T20 as well and they made a good account of themselves,” the head coach said.
“A young kid doing well in the first Test for India and it’s not only a good reflection of that person (player) but also a good reflection of the system. Fact that we have been able to develop not just India A but also he has played for Mumbai, in club cricket,” he added.
Iyer became the first Indian player to score a hundred and a fifty in his debut Test, only legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar scored two fifty-plus scores in his first Test.