South Africa’s tour of India begins with the Twenty20 International (T20I) series starting October 2, following which will be the One-Day International (ODI) series and the Tests. MS Dhoni will be a part of the first two series, having retired from Test cricket during India’s tour of Australia in 2014-15. Of late, it seems that Dhoni is redefining his role in India’s limited-overs team. There is no denying that Dhoni remains an integral part of the line-up, but his role in the team could use a bit of shuffling. READ: MS Dhoni’s new role in India’s batting order against South Africa
This is where Suresh Raina could play an integral role. Ever since taking over India’s ODI captaincy, Dhoni has transformed himself into arguably the greatest finisher in the history of the shorter formats of cricket. For a long time, the match was not over till Dhoni was dismissed. He has pulled off miraculous chases on numerous occasions; think Adelaide 2012, or Port of Spain 2013, or most memorably Mumbai 2011, in the ICC Cricket World Cup final. However, Dhoni seems to be struggling a little with his finishing abilities these days, and moved up to No. 4 in the batting order against Bangladesh recently, in order to play the role of a solidifier. It is likely that Dhoni will continue at that position, as at this stage of his career when he is trying to reinvent himself as a batsman, giving himself more time in the middle and also not be under the consistent pressure of being a ‘finisher’. READ: MS Dhoni: What makes him such a successful batsman?
If Dhoni is to continue batting up the order, that will mean that someone will have to take over at the all-important No. 6 position. As things stand in the present team, Raina is tailor-made to take over from Dhoni. Raina has been an integral part of India’s ODI set-up for years. He has the experience of playing the finisher’s role, and has the temperament to do so as well. And quite significantly, he has shown the ability to play the long innings in recent times. Also, for a very long time he has received his skipper’s backing to bat up in the other, but now that Dhoni wants himself to be promoted up, there should not be any qualms. READ: MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli: Who should captain India against South Africa in ODIs?
Since India’s tour of England in 2014, Raina has scored 837 runs in 22 innings at a fantastic 41.85 along with a strike rate of 108.27, with two centuries (both overseas) and six fifties. He had scored only three centuries (all in the subcontinent, one of which was against Hong Kong) in his first 192 matches. Apart from being mature and level-headed, Raina is a complete team-man. He will gladly bat one rung lower than usual if it means the team will benefit.
Of course, this is yet speculation. Dhoni himself has not clarified where he will bat against South Africa, and who will bat at what position. Nevertheless, from an outsider’s perspective the thought of Dhoni batting at No. 4 — and also giving up the wicketkeeping gloves in order to extend his career — seems like a good idea. Dhoni at No. 4 will solve India’s problem at that position, while Raina at No. 6 will ensure India do not lose out on a quality finisher either. READ: MS Dhoni: Top 10 innings in international cricket
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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