Dhoni and Raina: Comparison between two of India's finest finishers

People often talk of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s enviable record in successful run-chases, but Suresh Raina’s numbers deserve the same accolades, if not more. Nishad Pai Vaidya compares the records of India’s two finest finishers and explains what makes them unique.

 

---

 

It was a knock that defined Suresh Raina’s value to the Indian setup as his belligerent knock of 65 sealed a thrilling win for India in the third One-Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka. Such was the power of the knock that it won him the man-of-the-match award ahead of Gautam Gambhir – who had scored a well-paced century. People often talk about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brilliant record in successful run-chases, but Raina’s numbers deserve the same accolades if not more. While Dhoni has been a floater in the batting order and times his entry according to the situation, Raina remains a sentinel in the middle – one who can deal with a soaring asking rate with tremendous dexterity.

 

In his ODI career, Raina has given India the impetus at the end on many occasions. A number of such knocks have come when India have stuttered during a run-chase and required someone to remain calm, but also maintain a good rate of scoring. It isn’t just the fifty plus scores that have helped India’s cause, but the numerous 30s and 40s have been equally crucial as they made the difference between victory and defeat. Who can forget his unbeaten knock of 34 against Australia in the 2011 World Cup Quarter-final? He walked in when the match was in the balance after India had lost crucial wickets. Yuvraj Singh may have stolen the show, but it was Raina’s knock that supported him well and took a lot of pressure off him.

 

Dhoni and Raina’s comparative numbers in successful run-chases in ODIs makes interesting read. Although there is a huge gap in their averages, the other aspects are very much comparable and reflect their value to the Indian middle order.

 

Here are the said stats:

 

Player	M	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Strike-rate	Highest
MS Dhoni	65	2028	101.40	2	14	89.73	183*
Suresh Raina	53	1315	65.75	1	10	100.61	116*

Both batsmen have featured in over 50 successful run-chases and have played crucial roles in many. Dhoni’s high average may make Raina’s 65.75 look small, but make no mistake it is no mean feat. As mentioned earlier, it is Raina’s 30s and 40s that have been pivotal as they have come in time to finish the job at hand. The strike-rate column indicates that Raina is the more attacking player who tries to pick boundaries, whereas Dhoni plays a relatively sedate role and backs his famous technique of taking it to the end and then teeing off.

 

A proper indicator of their prowess while chasing (successfully) would be their respective numbers at different batting positions.

Here is Raina’s record in victorious chases by batting position:

 

Position	M	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Strike-rate	Highest
Number three	6	229	38.16	0	3	88.07	84
Number four	3	195	195.00	1	1	101.56	116*
Number five	11	363	72.60	0	3	116.34	80
Number six	15	448	64.00	0	3	93.92	81*
Number seven	3	41	41.00	0	0	113.88	34*
Number eight	1	39*	-	0	0	130.00	39*

 

Raina has been fantastic at numbers five and six – where has show tremendous consistency. While his outings at the top have been fruitful (particularly at four where he his average is 195.00), it is the value he adds to the lower-middle order that is of vital importance. Through all that, his strike-rate makes a very impressive reading. Even at numbers five and six, he strikes at almost a run-a-ball which indicates the kind of pressure he puts on the opposition in tight run-chases.

 

Let us now have a look at Dhoni’s record in victorious chases by batting position:

 

Position	M	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Strike-rate	Highest
Number three	3	320	-	1	1	112.28	183*
Number four	7	424	70.66	0	6	94.43	80
Number five	11	499	124.75	1	3	84.43	101*
Number six	23	560	62.22	0	2	84.97	67*
Number seven	7	225	225.00	0	2	81.52	72*

 

The fantastic averages illustrate the point of Dhoni being the floater who assesses the situation and decides his arrival at the crease. The knock that made him a superstar came at No 3 - the unforgettable 183 not out against Sri Lanka at Jaipur. However, the defining knock came in the 2011 World Cup final when his 91 not out helped India lift the coveted title after 28 years.

 

Interestingly, Raina’s initial significant knocks in successful run-chases came in the presence Dhoni at the other end. In 2005 against Sri Lanka at Pune, the duo batted calmly and took India through after Rahul Dravid and Irfan Pathan were dismissed. Raina ended unbeaten on 39 and Dhoni finished on 45 not out. While Dhoni have stolen the show then, Raina had his moment of glory against England in early 2006. Chasing a small target of 227, India were at 92 for five when the duo came together. Dhoni’s knock of 38 supported Raina as he took the attack to the opposition on route to his unbeaten 81.

 

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s partnership has often bailed India out of trouble and they are the Dravid-VVS Laxman pair for India in ODIs. However, Raina and Dhoni are the ultimate finishers you would want in your team and India is lucky to have both in their line-up.

 

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a club-level cricketer with an analytic mind and a sharp eye. It was this sharpness which spotted a wrong replay in IPL4 resulting in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. Some of his analytical pieces have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. Nishad can also be followed on Twitter)