India's former opener, selector and coach Anshuman Gaekwad talks about Ajinkya Rahane current form
Ajinkya Rahane, (inset) Anshuman Gaekwad
India's former opener, selector and coach Anshuman Gaekwad reckons the constant change in Ajinkya Rahane's batting number across all formats is at the heart of his current problems. The Mumbai batsman, who is India's stand-in captain, has managed to score only 84 runs in his last eight innings. He also finds himself out of the limited-overs sides.
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Anshuman Gaekwad
Too much shuffling
"I don't think it's Ajinkya's fault. Sometimes, he opens the innings, at times he comes in at No. 3, 4 or 5. No batsman likes such shuffling whether it is in one-day cricket, T20 internationals or Tests. It can unsettle him and ultimately he loses his confidence," Gaekwad told mid-day on the sidelines of the Ramesh Rajde scholarships function at the MIG Cricket Club yesterday.
Rajde, a dear friend of Gaekwad's, passed away in 2005 due a heart attack. Ajinkya Rahane was the first beneficiary of this scholarship. Yesterday, Gaekwad was on stage along with former India opener Madhav Apte and 1983 World Cup-winning team swing bowler Balvinder Singh Sandhu.
Young guns rewarded
Musheer Khan at MIG yesterday
Talented youngsters like all-rounder Vedant Gadia and leg-spinner Aman Trivedi got rewarded for their outstanding performances for Mumbai in the under-14 category. Left-arm spinner Musheer Khan and pacer Anjdeep Lad received scholarships for their good showing in U-16 and U-19 cricket.
Also view photos: Ajinkya Rahane enjoys dinner date with wife Radhika on his birthday
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