England had everything in their favour on the opening day of the Lord's Test. The ball was swinging and seaming in all directions on a green top prepared to suit their pacers. Luck also went their way as they won the crucial toss. The Indian top order and middle order were completely at the England bowlers' mercy as James Anderson and Stuart Broad utilised the conditions to the hilt. For more than a majority of the opening day, England were completely dominant, and expectedly so. Having taken out most of the big names in the Indian innings very early in the day, they would have expected to roll the visitors over quickly. But, perhaps they did not account for Ajinkya Rahane, a silent performer in the Indian line-up.
At Trent Bridge, there were queries over whether Rahane should be replaced by Rohit Sharma, but for a change MS Dhoni rightly backed the deserving player though, unlike Sharma, he hardly grabbed the limelight. Rahane's knock on the first day at Lord's was an exhibition of how to construct a Test innings, and that too under extreme pressure, in conditions which are completely in favour of the bowlers. The knock was a combination of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. In the early part of his knock, he displayed exemplary technique to keep the good balls out. Towards the second half of his innings, Rahane opened up and took the attack into the English camp.
Rahane's knock was better than the rest in that he decided not to get completely bogged down. It was a perfect mixture of solid defence and aggressive stroke play. Cricket, at the end of the day, is about scoring runs. And, while it is understandable why India's batsmen were extremely cautious in the first two sessions, it did not help their cause since England bowlers were good enough to break through India's defence. This is where Rahane's knock was so brilliant. Not only did he see out the tough phase, but was also there to take advantage of the situation when England's bowlers got tired.
This is not the first time that Rahane has stood up in challenging conditions. In the disappointing Durban Test last year, he was the only one who stood up for India. It was a top quality knock that deserved a hundred, but it was a heartbreak as luck deserted Rahane. He finally got one in New Zealand even as India again failed to register a series win. Being a maiden Test ton, it would have been most satisfying for Rahane. But, in terms of quality and the conditions, his ton at Lord's should be rated higher. The quality of the England attack is also much superior to that of the Kiwis. No doubt about that.
Following Laxman's retirement, Rohit Sharma was widely expected to succeed him, but Rahane has deservedly grabbed the spot for now. While Rohit made a sensational debut at home, he had been all at sea in South Africa and New Zealand. Rahane, on the other hand, has played all his big knocks away from home. He has definitely proved that he has the technique as well as the temperament to succeed in all kinds of surfaces. Rahane has had to wait for a long time for his opportunities, but is definitely not wasting them.
--By A Cricket Analyst
