|| CF Correspondent ||

 

Former India cricketer and coach of Ajinkya Rahane, Praveen Amre, has expressed his joy at the India Test vice-captain scoring 81 runs against England in the third Test. After going through a patch of indifferent form, that saw him excluded from the first two Tests in South Africa, Rahane’s career with the Indian team started to come under scrutiny.

However, his innings of 81 runs and partnership of 159 runs with Virat Kohli has put India on top in the third Test and Praveen Amre took this opportunity to share a little story that happened ahead of the third Test.

The former India cricketer turned 50 last Tuesday and asked Rahane to lift the bat towards the dressing room as a gift for him. In the end, that is exactly what happened after Rahane reached his half-century.

“I must tell you a small story in the lead-up to the third Test. I just celebrated my 50th birthday on Tuesday and when he asked me, I said I want to see him raise his bat to the dressing room and that would be my best birthday gift.”

Amre was ecstatic with the way everything turned out and commended the “flawlessness” of the innings weaved by the superstar.

“I cannot tell you how happy I was at the moment when he reached his fifty and raised his bat towards the dressing room. Yes, he could have converted the 81 into a three-figure score, but it was a good catch that saw him getting out. For me, it was the flawlessness of the innings that stands out,” he told Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, he also added that Rahane has played enough games to know how to bat in Tests. He also added that mental toughness almost always that the person possessing it comes out as the winner – regardless of what anyone says.

“After 47 Test matches, he doesn’t need to be told how to bat. At this level, things are all about adapting and fighting a mental battle when the chips are down. If you can be mentally tough, you can come out of the situation a winner.