Priority was to make the players believe in themselves - Rahane

India's stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane stood out with his leadership qualities Down Under. In a freewheeling chat with TOI, Rahane puts the Australia sojourn in perspective...

Has the term 'self-belief' ever been more integral to your cricket career? For someone who waited two years and 16 Tests to make his debut, the series win in Australia must have been the proverbial moment of truth...

I have always believed I belong at the highest level. It was never a question of self-belief or doubt. What people say, or rather how people generally like to talk, has seldom bothered me. I wasn't really bothered about what outsiders were saying (post Adelaide, when he took over). I know where I'm coming from, the contributions I've made - not just now, but in the past too - in crucial times. That's what mattered. What people talk or think is their problem.

Describe the period from the Adelaide result till the morning of the next Test at the MCG.

The journey started from those two three-day practice games. I knew Virat (Kohli) would be leaving after the first Test, so it was already on my mind - what my plans would be, what kind of strategy I would adopt, how I would use each player, (my) message to them. Then we went to Adelaide, where I took the back seat, because obviously, Virat was the captain. If you look at the Adelaide Test, apart from that