Ajinkya Rahane Prefers The Challenge Of Being No.3

Steve Waugh finds shades of Sachin Tendulkar in Ajinkya Rahane. Ajit Wadekar has praised him for sticking to the coaching manual. And, Rahul Dravid backs him to be India's No.5. (India Sacrificed 'Nice Guy' Ajinkya Rahane at No.3: Gavaskar)

The numbers also back Rahane batting at number 5. In the 18 Test matches he has played so far, the Mumbaikar has averaged 48.17 in 7 innings at No.6 but at 5, he has managed to score two of his four centuries, with an average of 40.20 in 22 innings. If you ask the man himself, number five is not his preferred slot. (Ajinkya Rahane Seeks MS Dhoni's Calmness, Virat Kohli's Aggression)

Rahane has said in an interview to NDTV, "For me the team comes first. I enjoyed batting at Number 3 in Sri Lanka because I have batted for Mumbai in that position for about 4-5 years. I also have the experience of how to make adjustments to play at number 3. But the team comes first, I will do what they want."

In fact "team first" is the motto of the Virat Kohli-led outfit. Post the win in the final Test, the team sat down for a dinner in Taj Samudra and they discussed how to tame the Proteas. Virat says, "A family that eats together, stays together". Socialising among mates is an essential part of the new age Team and their strategies are not just made in the meeting rooms but at the dinner table, too.

Taking the Proteas on will be a big moment for Ajinkya Rahane who missed out on a ton at Kingsmead in 2013, having got out on 96. But what he did achieve in the last two years has been quite sensational. Four centuries have come against four different oppositions- New Zealand, England, Australia and Sri Lanka. Now is the time to change the memory of Durban.

And Rahane is determined.."For me playing cricket with the right attitude and working hard is important. Our focus for the series against South Africa would be to keep believing in our strengths and abilities to get the right kind of results," says Rahane.

It is not his batting alone that India will bank on, in the series but his catching too. His fielding exploits against Sri Lanka have drawn huge praise when he held a record number of eight catches. And he credits his art of canny catching to early training in Martial Arts.

"Karate gives you that fitness and agility that is needed for a slip fielder. I did Karate when I was young. When Virat told me in Sri Lanka that I had to field in the slips, I had a word with the fielding coach and decided that we would practice 50-100 catches a day, would take out 15-20 extra minutes for it. In order to take catches in the slips one needs a lot of focus and concentration. One has to stay really focussed," says Anjinkya.

But above all, the 27-year old is keen to stamp his authority with the bat when the Proteas when he plays his second Test at home in Mohali.

(With Inputs From Lav Vaid)