Facing James Anderson in England probably the toughest challenge, claims Ajinkya Rahane
India’s middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has pointed to facing England’s pace stalwart James Anderson in daunting English conditions as one of the toughest challenges he’s come up against, as a batsman. Incidentally, it was against England at Lord’s that Rahane scored his 2nd Test hundred.
Having built a reputation for being the country’s saviour away from home, Ajinkya Rahane bounced back in style in 2019, averaging 71 in 8 Test matches, after a torrid 2017 and 2018 which yielded him just one century. After having a forgettable Test debut at home, Rahane caught the eye of the Indian fans through his outrageous performances in New Zealand and South Africa - where he scored a 118 and a 96 in bowler-friendly conditions - and then stamped his authority in the middle-order with a blasting, match-winning ton against England at Lord’s.
The game featured Jimmy Anderson at his best, with the Englishman picking 4 wickets in India’s first innings, and when asked who the toughest bowler he’d faced in his career, Rahane had no hesitation in taking the name of the veteran Englishman.
"(But) especially talking about one particular bowler - James Anderson in England is really challenging. He knows the conditions well. He (Anderson) is the one (toughest bowler to face)," Rahane was quoted as saying by Times of India.
The ongoing shutdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak has posed a different kind of challenge for cricketers across the world, with them basically barred from any outdoor activity whatsoever, but Rahane believes that the key is to keep oneself mentally fit during these tricky times.
"(At) this point of time, it is important to be positive mentally. Mentally, I'm visualising my cricketing stuff, batting. As an international athlete, cricketer, it is important to be mentally fit.”
Reflecting on the ongoing pandemic situation, the 31-year-old admitted that he was disturbed by the happenings, but also saw the positive side of things and stated that he was grateful to have gotten the opportunity to spend more time with his family.
"First of all, definitely this is a sad thing, which is happening. But, looking at the positive side, I'm getting time to spend with my daughter and family. My daughter is six-and-a-half months old, I'm lucky to be with her.”