'If you dominate, you go to the next level'

If a choice had to be made among India's young batsmen to pick the one who grew most in terms of approach, performance and maturity over the last 18 months, especially in Test cricket, there would hardly be a contest. Virat Kohli would have to cede the spot - regardless of his enormous popularity, elevation to the Test captaincy and rocketing list of centuries - to Ajinkya Rahane.

After a delayed and stuttering Test debut in Delhi, Rahane travelled to South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia. He played 13 of his 14 Tests outside the subcontinent, in a set of the most difficult conditions in world cricket. He has been India's No. 5, the link man between the top and lower order, made over 1000 runs, three centuries and six fifties, and entrenched himself in the XI. He has emerged from the Mumbai stable, but Rahane is an original. The man with the bat a complete antithesis of the boy without it, pacifist and revolutionary inside the same shirt.

Off the field, Rahane is easily missable; he is around 5ft 5in, slender, with a soft voice, and minus noise, tattoos, strut or groove. At the crease, though, he is capable of calculated, sustained, get-out-of-my-face aggression, and a range of conventional but ego-destroying strokes against the quickest bowlers in the world. It's where he produces his own brand of noise.

Three weeks into IPL 2015, Rahane is the top scorer and Rajasthan Royals' lead batsman. Between games, he spoke to ESPNcricinfo about his extraordinary recent run.

It has been a very important 18 months for you, starting in December 2013 with the trip to South Africa. What has been the biggest change you have experienced along the way?
I have learned a lot. I really enjoyed my batting, my hard work and the process. There are many challenges, starting with South Africa, New Zealand, England and then Australia. I practised differently for each of these tours.

The most important and satisfying thing for me before every tour is the preparation. I prepared well for each of these tours. Also, my mindset for these tours was to play aggressively, because if I played that way then the opposition would think twice before making their bowling plans and think about how to respond to our batting unit. Personally I had decided that regardless of the conditions overseas, I would play aggressively.

What were these preparations you talk about?
Before the South African tour, where the pitches have bounce and pace, I practised with wet rubber balls on cement wickets and AstroTurf. I took throwdowns from 15 yards to get my hand-eye coordination correct and also react quickly with my hands. Before England I faced a plastic ball initially, as that ball swings more. I also taped half of the tennis ball to make one side heavy, so there would be reverse swing. It was the same for New Zealand. For Australia, where the pitches and conditions are similar to South Africa, my preparation was the same.

Apart from my coach Praveen Amre sir, with whom I have worked a lot on my batting, I also spoke with Sachin paaji [Tendulkar] and on the phone with Rahul bhai [Dravid], because their record in these places has been very good.

What did Tendulkar say?
He said to not change my game too much, just focus on those little adjustments. According to him my game would be suitable to these surfaces because I like playing on the rise and I like to play the back-foot strokes like the cut and pull. In Australia, he pointed out, it is easy to get runs playing the cut and pull when you walk in and that also opens up more options as you progress. That worked out.

The way you attacked Mitchell Johnson during your 147 in Melbourne last year was one of most enthralling innings of attacking play in Test cricket. Tell us about your thought process at the time.
My mindset was already aggressive in the dressing room. Even before I went in to bat I was visualising which areas I wanted to hit Johnson and the kind of shots. My conversation with Virat [Kohli] was on the same lines: we will not give them any opportunity to get aggressive with us; instead we will be more aggressive against them. Whichever ball I found in my areas, I backed my instincts. Once I got set I told Virat, "Now I am going to attack. Even if Johnson bowls bouncers, let us go for shots instead of waiting." It was important to score fast runs because we wanted to win the Test. By playing aggressively we wanted to tell them we have come here to win and we don't want to settle for a draw. That partnership with Virat was memorable.

"I try to play in the present by focusing ball by ball - at least for the first 15 minutes. After that I look to dominate. Scoring runs is very important, even in Test cricket"

What was Australia's response?
We realised they were going on the defensive because they sensed India could win the match, based on the way our partnership was growing. That is when Virat and I decided that if we could extend our stand the match will go in our favour.

Let us go back to your debut Test. Do you remember the first ball you faced in Test cricket, from Peter Siddle in Delhi?
(Smiles). I remember one of the first deliveries hit me on the helmet and flew away. I was obviously nervous, playing the first Test. It was a dream to play Test cricket, playing in whites - there is a totally different motivation and feel. But I do remember everything that happened in both innings.

The first ball was an inswinger from Siddle and hit you nearly plumb in front of the stumps. Amre called you immediately after that.
Praveen sir called me to Khar Gymkhana, suggesting he wanted to work on my batting. He said it needed a little improvement. I wanted to practise with him too, but playing continuously I was not getting the time. I don't know how sir realised and why he decided to call me on his own and ask me to come over. That one session really helped me a lot. He did not say too much or point out any faults. He just said I was batting very good. That one sentence was positive and it was very important for me to hear that. I know in terms of batting technique you can work on little things, but when you think positively you can easily deal with limitations better. But with a negative mindset all those limitations look bigger.

He gave me simple throwdowns and asked me to just focus on watching the ball closely and timing. We spent about an hour in that session. In the Irani Trophy I got 82, batting alongside Sachin paaji. Even he said I was batting nicely.

Amre also worked on your backlift, which he thought was closing while the bat was coming down.
It was during the off season. We had sessions at BKC and Kalina grounds in Mumbai. He saw my batting closely during his first stint as Mumbai coach for four to five years. Usually my bat comes down straight but at times he noticed the bat was coming from leg stump. That was opening me up and affecting my whole body mechanics. So he said if I could bring it down from the middle stump instead, I would not have an issue playing inswing. He also said not to focus on reaction, which I was doing consciously. He suggested I should just start focusing on the action and not bother about the reaction.

Playing the situation is the biggest test for any cricketer. What is your first impulse when you arrive at the crease?
I try to play in the present by focusing ball by ball - at least for the first 15 minutes. After that I look to dominate. Scoring runs is very important, even in Test cricket. In that first interval when I am going one ball at a time I am reading the situation, understanding the nature of the pitch, the bounce and the pace, and accordingly I adapt my game and mindset.

How did you read the situation at Lord's, where your century in the first innings was a match-winning effort?
It was a challenging wicket to bat on. My plan initially was to play as close to my body as possible and leave balls. But when we were 140 for 7 at tea [on the first afternoon] I just decided I would play my shots because runs would be very crucial on this wicket. I told Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] I am going to play shots, you back your game, but try and rotate the strike. I said I will take on Anderson and we will aim to score close to 300 by the end of the day. I knew that 300-320 would be a winning total on that track. We scored 295 and we won that Test. But that decision and risk we took in between was really crucial. At the time I did not know what was going to happen, but in that moment I trusted myself and ability and it clicked.

When Anderson returned with the second new ball, you basically charged him, making 27 runs off 22 balls. Did you expect him to bowl where he did?
I backed my instincts and I got the feeling he would bowl that kind of line and length. And what I was thinking was actually happening that day. I just told Bhuvneshwar to support me from the other end, I will play my shots, and if I can push them on the back foot today, tomorrow the situation could be different.

When do you get the confidence that you can go for your shots?
When I was on 29-odd, I just got the feeling: if I take these guys on, they will be on the back foot. I knew the new ball was coming, so I knew runs would come before the new ball and after it was taken. That confidence mentally came to me when Bhunveshwar responded positively. He just told me: Whatever you feel, you back your game. I am standing at the other end. I will rotate the strike and give it back to you, and if I feel like playing the shots, I will also play them.

What is your go-to scoring shot?
My favourite shots are the straight drive and the cover drive, in Tests and T20 cricket. In Australia and South Africa, the cut and pull are better options. In England and New Zealand it is better to play the drives closer to the pitch of the ball, because the bowlers are trying to lure you into playing wider drives.

You are an aggressive batsman but off the field your personality is such that if someone looks at you they might think you are the sort who is happy to play long, languid innings. How do those two personalities come together to make you the player you are?
I started karate when I was six years old. I always have been shy and will only open up when I know someone really well. But while practising karate I would be aggressive. I would break bricks. I have broken sugarcane sticks on my back and head. That has helped with my aggressive attitude on the field. I like to express myself on the field than off it. You can say whatever frustration you have, I take it out on the bowler.

How did you handle sledging as a young batsman?
While learning karate, I was the smallest. And many opponents said, what will this kid fight, how can he fight? But I knew inside me that I did not like to talk but [to] show by doing. So that attitude I have brought to the cricket field too: by talking, the opponents might get happy and by responding there are chances of losing my focus and concentration. Instead, if I just stay quiet and respond with my batting that will help me more.

"While learning karate, I was the smallest. And many opponents said, what will this young boy fight? But I knew inside me that I did not like to talk but show by doing"

You've spoken about how Amre, Dravid and Tendulkar have been part of your growth - what about coach Duncan Fletcher? Can you talk about the areas he has helped you improve in?
Duncan helped me a lot. Among the many things he said, the one that has helped me the most is when he suggested I widen my stance before we went to South Africa in 2013. He said, "Try this and it will help you with your footwork positively. You can transfer your weight easily then." I tried it and it really helped me a lot. Basically he had asked me to increase the distance between my feet a little bit. It took about 10-15 net sessions before I started feeling comfortable. I was not entirely certain still, even as India arrived in South Africa. I tried it in the practice match. But during the first Test I finally realised the widened stance was working for the transfer of weight.

Regardless of all the differing preparation you have talked about on your away tours, what is the one thing you make sure to always do when you prepare, that is a constant in your preparation?
Playing as close as possible to my body. It does not matter where I play, in India or overseas. I practise visualisation regularly, especially the day before the match, thinking about the bowling attack, the kind of bowling plans I can expect.

You spoke about attacking Mitchell Johnson. Did you watch videos of him?
I had seen a few Ashes videos but I was not listening to what people were saying about him and about his bowling. What was important for me was how I prepared for him and how I dominated him. In international cricket it is important you dominate. Only survival is not important. If you dominate, you go to the next level.

Is it true that you were still practising just days before your marriage?
Yes, I was practising. Cricket is my passion. It has given me everything, so the more time and respect I can give to the game, the better for me. I don't think about the results but what is important for me is process and the respect for the game. If I can do that 100%, the rest will take care of themselves.

I knew that after the wedding the next few days would be busy and I would not be able to practise. We had the West Indies series starting, so I thought I should train. If I can give the time now for cricket, after cricket I can give my time to the rest.

You have not been able to bring the same kind of consistency and intensity to your one-day cricket as in Tests.
It is all about time. I feel my time is yet to come. In one-day cricket I admit that consistency has not come, but my game and game awareness have improved a lot. I like to keep my role simple whether I am opening or playing in the middle order. When I am opening I try and take my time. Facing the new ball you have the opportunity to get settled and make a big score. While playing in the middle order the plan is to rotate the strike with the odd boundary. But with five fielders inside the circle, strike rotation has become more challenging, even if your chances of hitting a boundary have increased. So I focus in the nets, I try to work out options to find the gaps and the singles.

You have spoken about domination and aggression being parts of your batting, but you are no power hitter. Is it a challenge to hit those big shots at times?
If the ball lands even a little bit over the rope it is still a six. My strength is to time the ball, and if I can back that, the option to hit fours and sixes opens up. Sometimes, especially in T20 cricket, in the desire to hit the big shots one can forget easily taking singles and doubles, which need to be given importance. If you try hitting a boundary, many times you hit straight to the fielder. So I have never trained to become a power hitter. I am working on my fitness. Ravi Shastri told me the biggest plus point is my timing and if I don't lose it, a lot of runs will come.

What is your take on Kohli's leadership?
Virat is quite aggressive as a leader and he takes good decisions. Our personalities are different but our beliefs are the same. He is a very mature player. He knows how to handle himself and how to handle the situation. In Melbourne he offered me positive support. I told him, "I am going to take the attack on now", because I was in a good flow. He just told me, "Don't worry, bat whatever way you want, I am standing at the other end." With the confidence that he gave me from the other end I could express myself in the right fashion.

How much is the senior role you have at Rajasthan Royals helped in your development as a cricketer?
I have a big responsibility that I enjoy. Rahul bhai has told me the team is dependent on me. He said that if I can bat the whole 20 overs, the team is safe. I have learned a lot in the last 18 months. This period has given me a lot of maturity and my confidence is high.