Ajinkya Rahane: I am not trying to run away or hide

Each time Ajinkya Rahane hit the turf last year he was viewed with a microscopic lens In his last 15 Tests Rahane scored just 547 runs in 27 innings He averaged just 2083 from 13 Tests last year The axe seemed closer to him after yet another poor series in South Africa a tour for which he was relieved of the Test vicecaptaincy The Mumbai stalwart is now back in a familiar settingmdashwith his Ranji Trophy teammatesmdashin a quest to get his mojo back In a candid interview with midday on Friday Rahane opened up about his lean patch and his wish to captain India in Tests on a fulltime basisEdited excerpts from the interviewWill there be a different approach to Ranji Trophy considering your formMy approach will be similar to any other game I am not going to change anything I know the importance of the Ranji Trophy because I have come from there I had to play fivesix seasons of the Ranji Trophy before making my India debut I am really looking forward to it Yes the way my form has been in the last oneandahalf yearhellipthere have been ups and downs and they come to every cricketer So it is a phase which is temporary It is important to give my best at whatever level I play Right now I am focusing on the Ranji Trophy and looking forward to giving my best to the Mumbai team which have a rich historyHow are you coping with the intense scrutiny on your formEveryone goes through this lean phase and I accept it I am not trying to run away or hide behind anything As far as talk around my form is concerned people will talk irrespective of whether it is good or bad Thatrsquos life it will go on For me it is important to control the controllables As far as I am learning from my mistakes growing as a cricketer that is important I am not worried or thinking about who is saying what and why are they constantly talking about meIs there an innings you often watch to lift your moodI rarely watch my innings but I have a habit of writing down in a diary what my mindset was when I played this knock or what was my process before the innings I try to follow the process and maintain that routine or come closer to that mindset I donrsquot just focus on my hundreds even those crucial 30s 40s or 50s are vital contributions In 2015 I remember scoring 38 not out to help the team draw the game at Sydney last Test of the 201415 tour That innings for me was very special The 48 in the second innings v SA at Johannesburg in 2018 was another crucial knock for the team India won by 63 runs Yes the hundred 147 at Melbourne in 201415 tour or the 112 at the same ground during the last tour in 202021 were special You wonrsquot score a century every time but what matters is your contribution to the teamrsquos victory and in what situation you scored those runs I give a lot of importance to these small little contributions and not just think about my hundreds at Lordrsquos Melbourne or Wellington 201314 I have made valuable contributions with 60s 80s or even 30s and 40s Is playing with your daughter Aarya the perfect stressbusterJust being with her is a huge thingher smile means a lot She doesnrsquot expect anything from me she just gives me a lot of love every time Whenever I go back home after a practice session or match she keeps me involved completely with something So you donrsquot have time to think about anything with her aroundAny particular aspect of your game you would look to improveI am always looking to improve as a cricketer whether it is technique fitness or agility There is no particular aspect as such itrsquos an overall thingAre you thinking of the Test captaincyI am just focusing on the Ranji Trophy Thatrsquos been my formula always While saying this I have led the country in Australia 202021 and also in India against Australia 201617 that was the proudest moment for me If the opportunity comes my wayhellipI have always enjoyed taking that responsibility So yes captaining the Indian team is something very specialHow did you marshal the troops to bounce back after the 369 in the first Adelaide DN Test in 2020If we had to win the series Melbourne second Test was the only match for us to come back Knowing the Australians when they have an upper hand they just donrsquot give you an inch It was the turning point and I am happy I contributed to the teamrsquos victory That hundred was very special I kept things very simple My focus was not on the result All I asked for was to give our best as a team I was in my room after the 36 and thought it was important that firstly I should have the belief for a turnaround in the series That was the only way I could have passed on that belief to my teammates I was thinking all the time about how will I bring this belief in because it is not just based on one factor Even then a lot of people were talking about my batting But for me it was important to focus on the team and how I can get the best from each and every individual rather than thinking about my own performance I knew if we kept things simple play for each other enjoy each otherrsquos success and prepare well the rest will take care of itself14No of months since Rahane last scored a Test century