IND vs SA | Ajinkya Rahane should believe that he is just one knock away from a good performance, says Zaheer Khan

12/26/2021

Zaheer Khan has advised Ajinkya Rahane to get out of poor form that he should believe that he is just one knock away from a good performance and once he gets it he can regain his form. Zaheer also stressed on the mental toughness saying that the right mindset is important for a out of form player.

India are scheduled to tour South Africa for three Tests starting from December 26. The first Test will be played in Centurion and India will be aiming for a maiden series win in South Africa. Batting might be one of the worrying factors for the team as three senior batsmen in the team are looking out of form. Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are going through a century drought in Test cricket. Rahane’s vice-captaincy in Test cricket has also been removed and his place in the team doesn’t look a certainty anymore.

Rahane has averaged only 24 in the last 16 Tests. His career average has also dipped below 40 which is a rare instance. Former India cricketer Zaheer Khan has some words of advice for Ajinkya Rahane saying that mental toughness is important to come out of the tough phase.

"There have been mixed performances for Ajinkya Rahane. There is no doubt about it. He is under immense pressure. That is the fact. For any cricketer, to go through this kind of phase, you've got to have that mental toughness to come out of it. The good part is that you are still there and you are one inning away. As a batsman or cricketer, you should have such a belief," Zaheer said to Times of India.

Zaheer also suggested that Rahane should believe that he is just one knock away from a good performance recalling his personal experience.

"Through my personal experience, if someone is going through a rough patch, you've got to have that belief that you are just one inning or one good knock away from that good performance. If you hit that, things change very fast as well. This is what I would advise Ajinkya at this stage. As a cricketer, you need to accept these challenges and take them head-on," he concluded.

The South Africa series might be the final chance for Rahane as Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari are also strong contenders to get a place in the team.