Ajinkya Rahane back in contention as Rahul Dravid and Co. finalize WTC 2023 Final blueprint
The reason for Rahane being back in contention is his domestic form.
Follow Us
Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane seems to have fetched himself a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final as India head coach Rahul Dravid and other support staff get ready for a meet-up. The veteran batter who lost his place in the Test setup to Shreyas Iyer is back in contention as Iyer has been ruled out of WTC Final with a back injury.
As per reports, Rahane is being considered to fill up the vacant No. 5 slot for the summit clash of the WTC 2021-23 cycle. The reason for Rahane being back in contention is his domestic form. Also, Suryakumar Yadav has failed to leave a mark in the longest format while KS Bharat does not have the ideal technique to bat in swinging and seaming conditions. Thus, KL Rahul is being touted to take the gloves while Rahane can bat in the middle order.
“After a decent domestic season in which he scored 600 plus runs, former India captain Ajinkya Rahane is believed to be very much in contention for a place in the squad of 15 as Iyer is set to undergo back surgery,” a PTI report has claimed.
Rahane recently roared back to form as he played a match-winning knock for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Mumbai Indians (MI). The veteran batter scored a 27-ball 61 while opening the winnings for CSK. When asked if he is eyeing that empty slot in the Indian Test setup, Rahane said that it is still a long way to go but he is optimistic.
“Still, a long way to go [WTC final],” Rahane said at the post-match press conference after the IPL game. “Anything can happen. I will never give up. For me it is about playing with enjoyment and passion,” he added.
The report further claimed that although all the WTC Final-bound players are busy with the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rahul Dravid and his team will assemble at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to finalize the blueprint for the all-important match against Australia in June.
“Dravid along with batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, fielding coach T Dilip and the other support staff will be meeting the NCA team headed by VVS Laxman to discuss various issues related to senior team,” a BCCI source, privy to developments was quoted saying by PTI.
Related: WATCH: Kaviya Maran gets irritated at cameraman for constantly focusing on her during SRH vs PBKS
Management worried about workload of players
As the WTC Final is scheduled to be played just a few days after the IPL 2023 Final, the team management is worried about the workload of the players, especially the bowlers. The report quoted one of the support staff members saying that the bowlers need to bowl at least 200 deliveries in a week to be Test-match ready.
“If June 7 is the start of WTC final, currently all the Indian pacers need to bowl at least 200 deliveries (33 overs approximately) per week (7 days). That’s how you build the miles (in simple words stamina) in your legs,” he said.
“But in IPL, the main star bowlers would hardly come for each and every training session. You will mostly see them getting rest a day before the game as one day before that, there is travelling. “The heavy travelling part actually can cause more injuries and hence they won’t be able to bowl in training,” the former coach said.
In case you missed it:
Stay Updated!
Ritesh Pathak
(2150 Articles Published)