×

ICC Champions Trophy 2013 could be career-defining for Suresh Raina

After a tumultuous end to the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), MS Dhoni marshals his men to England for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 amidst the spot-fixing saga which refuses to die down. The new-look Indian outfit needs to focus entirely on what they can do on the field for the next three weeks.

Related articles

ICC Champions Trophy 2013 could be career-defining for Suresh Raina

In matches where India have chased and won, Suresh Raina (above) averages 73.10 from 56 matches, a minimum of 1,000 runs and 50 matches being the consideration. Only the likes of Michael Clarke, Michael Bevan and MS Dhoni have done better than this © AFP

By Prakash Govindasreenivasan

After a tumultuous end to the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), MS Dhoni marshals his men to England for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 amidst the spot-fixing saga which refuses to die down. The new-look Indian outfit needs to focus entirely on what they can do on the field for the next three weeks.

When Dhoni & Co. step out to face South Africa in the season opener, there will be many familiar and celebrated names missing from the side. India will have two new men opening the innings as Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir failed to make the cut due to poor form. The biggest void in the side will be the absence of Yuvraj Singh, who was instrumental in India’s success at the ICC World Cup 2011. The team will also be without Sachin Tendulkar, who recently called time on his limited-overs career.

A lot of credit must go to Sandeep Patil and his team of selectors who have taken a step forward to pick a side purely based on form. None of players in the 16-man squad have been carried merely on reputation and past laurels. However, the flipside to such a selection process is the lack of experience. Going purely by numbers, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni are the only two batsmen in the possible top-six who have played over 100 ODIs. In such a scenario, Raina could be expected to shoulder the responsibility with his skipper as India seek their first Champions Trophy win.

Raina has successfully played the role of a ‘floater’ in India’s batting line-up in the last couple of years. His stroke-making ability, which was noticed by Rahul Dravid when the former was playing with Under-19s, has been his mainstay. Alongwith with Dhoni, he has earned the reputation of one of the best modern-day finishers of the game in limited-overs cricket.

There is no doubting Raina’s ability as a finisher in the limited-overs format of the game. In 159 ODIs, Raina has managed 4068 runs while batting in the lower middle-order. In matches where India have chased and won, he averages 73.10 from 56 matches, a minimum of 1,000 runs and 50 matches being the consideration. Only the likes of Michael Clarke, Michael Bevan and MS Dhoni have done better than this. Yet, does he really fit the bill in India’s top four for the Champions Trophy? The answer could be in the affirmative.

Ever since his debut in 2005, Raina has shown uncanny ability to revel under pressure and pull out India from a hopeless position to a winning situation courtesy of his positive intent. The earliest came in only his eighth innings at Faridabad in 2006, when he scored an unbeaten 81 to rescue India out from 92 for five to successfully chase England’s total of 227.  One of his best rescue efforts came in the final of tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, albeit in a losing cause. India were reduced to 60 for five after which the southpaw resurrected the innings. He showed great maturity and resilience through his knock of 106 from 115 deliveries to guide India to 245 in the final of the tournament.

In the World Cup 2011 quarterfinal clash against Australia at the Motera, Raina added an unbeaten stand of 74 runs with Yuvraj for the sixth wicket to take India past Australia to setup a semifinal clash with their arch-rival Pakistan. His 36 unbeaten runs helped the team from a collapse towards the end of the innings to post 260.

However, to play a different role in hostile conditions in England could be a completely different ball game for the southpaw. He will have to make amends to his usual approach and even curb his natural instincts on certain occasions. If he gets to occupy the No 4 position in the batting order, he will have to shift gears accordingly without being too perturbed. This could be a good opportunity for him to prove his worth away from the Subcontinent and show that he is more than just a ‘flat track bully.’

Champions Trophy 2013 could be career-defining for the 26-year-old Raina. Bowlers of different shapes and sizes will welcome him with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries and test his temperament constantly.

Neale Donald Walsch, an American author and speaker once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” If Raina can take that thought to the field and overcome his limitations, India could have a complete batsman among its ranks.

(Prakash Govindasreenivasan is an Editorial consultant at CricketCountry and a sports fanatic, with a soft corner for cricket. After studying journalism for two years, came the first big high in his professional life – the opportunity to interview his hero Adam Gilchrist and talking about his magnificent 149 in the 2007 World Cup final. While not following cricket, he is busy rooting for Chelsea FC)

trending this week