Ajinkya Rahane reveals the secret behind his composure in Australia
Besides his shrewd tactics, it was Ajinkya Rahane's composure that stood out in India's historic triumph in Australia.
Divulging the secret behind it, Rahane said that he practices the "Vedanta philosophy" to keep his head steady under pressure.
Ajinkya Rahane took over the reins of Team India after arguably their worst Test defeat in cricketing history.
But exactly a month later, the team reached the pinnacle of World Test Championship standings with a 2-1 series victory down under.
Both during and after the series, Rahane was praised for inspiring the youngsters, backing the senior-pros and allowing everyone the space to perform.
In an interview with the Indian Express, Ajinkya Rahane talked about how the philosophy helps him deal with the highs and lows of his career.
"I think it comes naturally to me. I have been learning about Vedanta philosophy, and I have been practicing it even during the lockdown… I have been following the philosophy for the past six-seven years. It has been helping me a lot in life when it comes to coping with success and failure, to understand what is important in life and what matters to you. It has been working very well for me. The philosophy is about life, it is not related to cricket… How to deal with pressure situations, how to deal with success and failure, if you are failing, how you can be calm and positive, and what is the bigger picture," said Rahane.
Ajinkya Rahane was also one of the highest scorers for the team in Australia.
In eight innings, the Mumbaikar amassed 268 runs at an average of 38.29. His most crucial knocks came in the 2nd Test - 112 and 27 not out.
"IPL helped make players fearless" - Ajinkya Rahane
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy saw some of the finest performances from young guns like Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar.
According to Ajinkya Rahane, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been instrumental in their transition to international cricket.
"I think IPL has helped each and every cricketer in terms of experience, to play quality attacks, to gain knowledge about the game… IPL helped make players fearless, which is really good. If there is no fear of failure, players can play their natural game, and that is what all these guys did. The team is looking forward to playing more Test matches, which is a really good sign. We all give importance to Test cricket, we know Test cricket is everything. So yes, I feel IPL plays a big role in giving players that confidence, that X-factor, and at the same time, we all give importance to Test cricket too," said Rahane.
Ajinkya Rahane will return to the role of vice-captain on February 5th, when India take on England in the first match of the 4-Test series.