India vs West Indies | ‘Not a selfish guy, was thinking about team’: Ajinkya Rahane

New Delhi | Jagran Sports Desk: Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who scored a gritty 81 in first test against West Indies in Antigua, said that he ‘didn’t want to be selfish’ by thinking about his own milestone when the priority was to get his team out of the woods.

“As long as I am at the crease, I am thinking about my team, I am not a selfish guy. So yes, I am not too concerned about the hundred as I thought 81 on that wicket was really crucial as we are now in a decent position,” said Rahane in the post-match conference.

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“See, as long as I am contributing for my team is what matters. Yes, I was thinking about my hundred but the situation we are in -- 25 for 3 was tricky. As I have said, I just thought if I could contribute for my team. I am not too concerned about my hundred as that will come automatically,” said the 31-year-old.

Rahane spent a couple of months with Hampshire in English county, playing seven games in which he scored a hundred and a fifty. He, however, feels that it's too premature to say whether the stint proved beneficial or not but it certainly helped him get him some quality batting practice.    

“See it (county stint) was important. I took the decision when I got to know that I won't be a part of World Cup squad. I wanted to make use of the two months and I played seven county games, focussing on my batting, working on few areas,” Rahane said.

“When you play in England with Dukes ball, you have got play close to your body. I was batting at No.3 as well so luckily I got to play the new ball there. Those two months, I really used my time well but it's too early to say that county stint helped me. But it's good that I went there and had some batting practice,” he said.

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“In England everyone knows that it's all about the conditions. When its cloudy, you got to respect the conditions and when its sunny, you know that its good for batting. I had some good knocks, so yes, it was a pretty good stint for me,” he added.

India reached 203 for 6 in their first innings on a rain-curtailed opening day of the inaugural World Test Championship encounter here on Thursday.

Ajinkya Rahane scored 81 while KL Rahul contributed 44 runs for India. For the West Indies Kemar Roach took 3 for 34 while Shannon Gabriel had 2 for 49.

(With PTI inputs)