There is certain amount of calmness about this boy from Mumbai. Ajinkya Rahane’s exterior looks serene and relaxed. But scratch beneath the surface and you will find there is burning desire to perform and excel. And this right mixture of composure and aggression makes him the new crisis manager of Indian batting. In the only practice game against Sri Lanka Board President XI, Rahane walked in when things were looking bit shaky. He walked in after the departure of his leader Virat Kohli and India were 130 for 3. Soon it was 133-4 with Dhawan also getting out after scoring a fine fifty. Rahane took his time to settle and get things going. “I felt I wanted to get used to this heat and I wanted to get used to the conditions. The wicket was doing a bit initially. For any new batsman, first 20-25 minutes was crucial in the middle, so I wanted to play carefully but my intent was positive throughout. After 25-30 runs, I wanted to play long and play a big innings before a Test match. So I am pretty happy with the way I batted”, added the stylish right-hander. Rahane along with Cheteshwar Pujara batted sensibly to add valuable 134 runs on the board and restored respectability to the total. “Even Pujara batted pretty well,” Rahane said of his partner. He took his time and it is important to get one or two big partnerships in Test series because in one or two sessions, the game can change. So it is important to get that momentum going,” said Rahane. The time spend on the crease has given Rahane fair idea about conditions they will be facing in the tour. It will be hot & humid and one would need to spend every ounce of his fitness and will to survive. But Rahane is up for the challenge. “Coming from Mumbai, we are used to playing in such conditions but yes, having said that, I wanted to get used to the wicket and conditions – again, bat long. Again here in Sri Lanka, whoever is set, it is important to bat long because conditions will challenge you here and as a batsman, it is a challenge for any batsman, if you are set, 60-70 batting, it is important to convert into big runs.” The class of Rahane is that even in difficult situations and daunting conditions he will make batting look ridiculously easy. On a slightly green pitch with a very heavy outfield he managed to score 109 runs of 127 balls with strike rate of 85.82. This demonstrates the thought process of this team. “In our batting unit, everyone’s intent is to look for runs and that will help us to win Test matches because scoring runs quickly will give our bowlers time to take 20 wickets.” Rahane’s biggest asset is his balance and simplicity, on and off the field. This virtue of him gives him right perspective about his cricket. “I always think about my basics, I always think about my preparations. Runs will automatically come but as long as my mindset is good, my intent is good and I am in that particular present moment, it will help my team and me. So yes runs will eventually come but as long as I am playing one ball at a time, it will help me.” In this relatively younger side Rahane along with Virat Kohli is the mainstay of the Indian middle order. With hundreds in New Zealand, England and Australia he has earned his stripes. Now he would like to conquer the shores of Emerald Islands for him and his Team.