Ajinkya Rahane : This Partnership with Virat was really memorable

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane led the Indian batting with ease, as they slammed 211 and 188 respectively to dismantle the New Zealanders. Ajinkya Rahane, who played spin better than Kohli today, termed this innings as a special and memorable one.

Rahane said, “This innings was really special and the partnership too (with captain Virat Kohli). We were 100 for 3 and from there getting 365 is really special.”

Despite playing a flawless innings today, Rahane, one of the most technically sound players of the current era, suffered a lot of problems in facing the short ball on the first day.

"It was hot out there today. I was struggling yesterday against the short ball and Virat told me to take my time. Today I wanted to dominate after getting the hundred. This partnership will stay in memory for a long time," Rahane said in the post-match presser.

He added, "I take credit for the way I handled things yesterday when they were bowling short and I rate this 100 up there.”

Speaking about the partnership with Kohli, the Mumbai batsman said, “We were talking about partnership yesterday but today it was hot and humid. We did not discuss too much about cricket. We wanted to have fun. The partnership was very crucial and we had decided to attack after getting our hundreds. We wanted their fast bowlers to bowl so that we could attack.

"In this innings, I struggled but it's important to enjoy and tackle it which is what counts. As a batsman it's important to face the next ball calmly after being beaten. This showed me what Test cricket is all about. I needed 200 to 230 balls to reach my 100.

"Today I was really happy they were bowling short balls as I knew they will give me runs. Yesterday, I struggled but today it was different. Once I got my hundred with Jeetan Patel and Santner came on to bowl, I wanted to play my normal cricket shots.”

The hard-working Mumbai batsman, who learned his craft at the slow and low wickets of Mumbai maidan, has credited his roots for his success.

"Hard work is part of my routine. Preparations are always important for me. I practised in Mumbai for 5-6 days. I practised on slow wickets as in India they are slow and spin friendly and each track is different. Here for example some balls came slow and some fast," he concluded