 "Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. File Photo: Reuters")
India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will be sticking to the basics when he walks out to bat against England in the upcoming Test series.
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Rahane was the standout performer for India against Australia in the four-match Test series. In the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, Rahane led the team from the front and hit a match-winning hundred in the second Test in December.
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In 2014 during India's tour of England, Rahane had rescued the visitors after the MS Dhoni-led side was three down. The right-handed batsman hit a hundred and rebuilt India's innings.
Rahane will now be against same the opposition with a similar bowling line up but India's Test vice-captain hasn't prepared anything differently for the upcoming series and will be keeping his game really simple.
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"Not really! (when asked if prepared differently for the England series) We know our conditions and we are playing after almost 2 years in India. So it's all bout personally backing my own game, what the team requires, and just play accordingly. So yaa, I am going to keep it really simple," said Rahane while replying to a query from ANI during the virtual press conference on Wednesday.
England's tour of India 2021
India is coming into the Test series against England on the back of a remarkable victory over Australia last month. But Rahane isn't taking the Joe Root-led England squad lightly.
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"Australia was special for us. We did enjoy our victory. But we are in the present now. It is all about staying in the moment. We respect England and we will not take them lightly. We are focusing on playing a good brand of cricket," said Rahane.
Earlier today, Rahane had a hit in the nets ahead of the upcoming four-match Test series against England. The Virat Kohli-led India squad had their first outdoor training session on Monday ahead of the first Test against England.
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Three RT-PCR tests for coronavirus were conducted at regular intervals and all the Indian players were tested negative. The hosts were then cleared to begin their nets sessions from Tuesday as they have completed the six-day quarantine.
India and England are set to lock horns in four Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. The first two games of the Test series will be played in Chennai before the cricketers move to Ahmedabad for the third and fourth Test.
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The first Test will be played from Friday, while the second is slated to begin on February 13.
