India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has backed his team to adapt and adjust to the conditions in the Test series against West Indies. He also said that since the conditions are vastly different from that of England, the players have to make a mental switch quite quickly.
"Here we have to see how the wicket behaves, it is hot here, so we have to adapt to the conditions quickly during the practice sessions. We know the Indian conditions and we know how to go about our job and what shots to play here. England was different, so we will have to quickly mentally switch," Rahane told reporters.
Speaking about the new Indian top order, Rahane said that Prithvi Shaw, who is in line to make his debut in the first Test, should play his natural game, and should curb his instincts.
'Do not know the combinations'
However, he did not commit as to who between Shaw and Mayank Agarwal would walk out to open the innings with KL Rahul in the first Test match.
"Personally we don't know the combination what we are going to play. But there is no pressure, it is an opportunity for every individual to express ourselves. I wish him good luck and I am sure he will do well. I just want him (Prithvi) to play as he has been doing for Mumbai and India A and I think he will be fine," Rahane said.
India go into the series as favourites, but Rahane does not want to take West Indies lightly and said that for India, every opponent is met with the same intensity and the team focuses more on their strengths, rather than the opposition.
"No matter whom we play, whether it is Australia, England or West Indies, it is important to improve our own standard. Our goal will be to play some good cricket, definitely to dominate from the first match and improvement as a batsman, as a bowler and as a team, that would be the focus," he added.
After a mediocre series in England, Rahane went back to domestic cricket and lead Mumbai to victories over Baroda, Karnataka and Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last month. Although it was the white-ball format, he believes that it gave him good match practice ahead of the Test series.
