WTC final: Wasim Jaffer wants Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to bat with 'Ghajini' mindset on Sunday
Wasim Jaffer wants Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to step onto the field for the World Test Championship final on Sunday with a 'Ghajini-like' mindset. The jocose former cricketer reasoned that in English conditions, it's crucial for the batsmen to forget the bowlers' good deliveries and focus on the moment.
Ghajini, a famous Bollywood movie, revolved around a business tycoon suffering from acute short-term memory loss. Wasim Jaffer noted that Kohli and Rahane were both beaten by a few deliveries from New Zealand pacers but didn't ponder on them and stuck with their plans.
"Their mindset should be a bit like Ghajini's as well because it's very important to forget the previous deliveries. In England conditions, it will often happen that you will play and miss an excellent delivery, which we also saw with Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli. I feel that you need to have that mindset where you can forget the last ball and focus on the next," Wasim Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel.
India got off to a solid start with a 62-run opening stand. Three quick wickets destabilized their innings a bit but the old firm of Kohli (44) and Rahane (29) was up to the task with their unbeaten 58-run partnership.
The skipper looked in flawless touch while his deputy too found his groove before the game was halted due to bad light.
"India at the top after Day 1" - Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer further stated that India took home the advantage on Saturday. He explained that New Zealand would have expected to take 4-5 wickets after asking them to bat first but India instead looked well-poised for a competitive total by the end of the day.
"It was a brilliant performance. I feel the Indian team is at the top after Day 1 because when your opposition asks you to bat first, it expects to take at least 4-5 wickets. We saw two good partnerships and I expect Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to have a big partnership today which will set the game for India. If India score 275-300 plus, their chances of winning the match will increase manyfold," said Jaffer.
While expressing his surprise at Kane Willamson's decision to go with an all-pace attack, Wasim Jaffer added that Southampton's pitch and the rough spots created by the pacers will be advantageous to India's two seasoned tweakers.
"I feel the ball will spin here, especially with the left-handers bowling - Trent Boult and Neil Wagner - the rough they create will help Ashwin. Similarly, the rough that the right-handed bowlers will create will help Jadeja. I am very surprised that Kane Williamson hasn't played a spinner... I believe that if India could score over 300, they'll be in a dominating position because they have to bowl 2nd and 4th where our spinners will be handy," he signed off.