'He Requires To Understand..': VVS Laxman Has An Advice For 'Compulsive Hooker' Rahane
WTC Final: VVS Laxman has quoted the great Sachin Tendulkar to advice Ajikya Rahane after he was dismissed playing the short ball. What did VVS say to Rahane, check out below.
Southampton: Ajinkya Rahane has been facing troubles playing the short delivery. In both innings of the World Test Championship Final, Ajinkya Rahane got out to a short delivery. It was an example of good captaincy by Kane Williamson who placed a fielder at short-leg, which is a catching position to pick out Rahane in both innings.
Rahane's short ball problem isn't a new one and that is why the NZ bowlers had a plan of occasionally bowling short to him. Rahane, who led India to a Test series victory in Australia has been called a "Compulsive hooker", i.e. someone who can't stop himself from playing the pull or the hook shot once the ball is pitched short. The bowlers are seemingly taking advantage of this and constantly bowling short to Ajinkya Rahane. VVS Laxman has spotted this very thing.
"I am always impressed with Williamson's captaincy. I thought that Rahane was settling in, he was batting much better, he looked more assured at the crease as compared to yesterday. But this is something that has become a recurring pattern with Ajinkya Rahane's batting. It was the same game plan that New Zealand used against him in Christchurch. This is something he needs to understand," Laxman said on Star Sports during a post-match show.
He also spoke about how the captain saw this vulnerability in Rahane's game and specifically placed a fielder at short-leg to pick Rahane's wicket. "You talked about the planning between Neil Wagner and Kane Williamson. There was no fielder there on the fifth delivery, the one before he got out. And then a fielder was placed there and also near the backward short-leg. It forced Ajinkya Rahane to play half-hearted pull short. There was no conviction in that pull short and this would be something Ajinkya Rahane will be disappointed with," Laxman added.
He said that Sachin Tendulkar advised I'm a couple of things which he will tell Ajinkya Rahane.
"Number One is you know where your off stump is, you know how to play the ball when it is pitched in the corridor of uncertainty. And you also should know how to leave or defend the bouncers," he added.
Top Headlines
