"This is something that has become a pattern with Rahane’s batting"

Ajinkya Rahane is known to be a compulsive hooker of the ball, yet never shies away from playing the pull shot. The 33-year-old overcame an iffy start to reach 49 in the first innings but fell to New Zealand’s short-ball trap on day three of the World Test Championship in Southampton.

Rahane was starting to look solid and that's when left-arm paceman Neil Wagner and New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had a brief discussion and added an extra fielder at square leg. Rahane straightaway fell for the trap and played a half-hearted pull shot that went straight to Tom Latham at square leg. 

Former India batsman VVS Laxman said Rahane will have to work on his game and even recalled a piece of advice from Sachin Tendulkar. "I thought that Ajinkya Rahane was getting his eye in, he was batting much better, he looked more assured on the crease as compared to yesterday (Saturday). But this is something that has become a pattern with Ajinkya Rahane’s batting. It was the same game plan that New Zealand used against him in Christchurch. This is something he requires to understand.

"You talked about the planning between Neil Wagner and Kane Williamson. There was no fielder there on the fifth delivery, the one before he got out. And then a fielder was placed there and also near the backward short-leg. It forced Ajinkya Rahane to play half-hearted pull short. There was no conviction in that pull short and this would be something Ajinkya Rahane will be disappointed with.

"I remember when I started my cricketing career, the great Sachin Tendulkar advised me that there are two areas that you have to be comfortable if you have to be successful. Number One is you know where your off stump is, you know how to play the ball when it is pitched in the corridor of uncertainty. And you also should know how to leave or defend the bouncers.

"Because if the opposition comes to know that you are a compulsive pull shot or hook shot player, they will bowl a barrage of bouncers at you and have the field set to make you play that shot. And it is always going to be a low percentage shot."

India were bowled out for 217, with Kyle Jamieson picking up 5/31. In reply, New Zealand were 101/2 at the end of day three.