India insist they retain full faith in out-of-form batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara to deliver when it matters most against England.
If selected for the first Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday, opener Dhawan will take guard after two ducks in India’s only warm-up match against Essex – while Pujara has mustered an average of only 14.33 from 12 innings in his County Championship reconnaissance mission with Yorkshire.
Their fellow batsman Ajinkya Rahane is not admitting to any undue concerns about either, however.
“We are not worried at all, because both are really quality batsmen,” he said. “It just takes one good innings to get into your rhythm. We all back them.”
Rahane, who first toured England in 2011 with India’s white-ball team and returned four years ago in all three formats, is well aware of the adaptability required here.
“Playing in England is always a challenge … (but) if you think about the result you put pressure on yourself,” he added.
Training hard at nets ahead of our first test against England. pic.twitter.com/g6AN9l0Ci3
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 30, 2018
“This time we just want to express ourselves. Personally I enjoy those challenges, playing abroad.
“You know here in England the ball does a bit, in Australia there’s bounce, again in New Zealand the ball does a bit … I’m really looking forward to this series.”
Captain Virat Kohli suffered a rare blip in his prolific run-scoring on India’s last Test tour, averaging a paltry 13.4.
Rahane’s advice for the collective this time is to stay true to themselves, and make the most of each opportunity.
“As a batting unit, I feel that challenging yourself and backing your own game – rather than copying someone else – is important,” he said. “If you’re set here, you should really make it count.
“I feel that in terms of skill, both teams are on a par. It will be a test of our mind and character here.”
