Port of Spain, Jul 17 (IANS): Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour on Monday said that veteran cricketer Ajinkya Rahane's confident style in the middle has been the defining characteristic of his return, and the Indian team will rely on him to sustain his good form during their upcoming tour of South Africa later this year.

Rahane's 89 and 46 were probably the only bright spots for India in their World Test Championship final loss to Australia in London last month.

The 35-year-old, however, failed in the first Test against West Indies and would like to make amends in the second game, which begins on July 20, here

"He played really well in the WTC final. He has always been a good player. He was dropped because of bad form. When it comes to technique, you constantly work on that but what stood out for me that he was much more calm in his approach.

"He was playing late and close to the body. That has been the standout thing since his comeback. He is still batting the same way in the nets. We hope he will do well. Conditions in South Africa, you will need somebody like him to come good," Rathour said in the pre-match press conference.