How Suresh Raina made Martin Crowe smile post chemotherapy in 2014

Martin Crowe had suggested that Raina’s six-hitting abilities were one of the most “striking” cricketing image he had seen in his entire career.

Suresh Raina was one of the few people who gave joy to late Martin Crowe when the latter was recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy. In 2015, Crowe had mentioned Raina’s name in a column for ESPNCricinfo saying how the big hitting of the young Indian created a positive impact on Crowe during the aftermath of Chemotherapy. Crowe had suggested that Raina’s six-hitting abilities were one of the most “striking” cricketing image he had seen in his entire career. The former New Zealand skipper who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2014, passed away on Thursday, leaving the entire cricket fraternity mourn. READ: O Martin, my Martin Crowe, long ago…

“When I saw his six-hitting recently, something caught my eye. It wasn’t just the sight of the ball soaring, perfectly timed and lofted. I saw a new innovation that I believe will last many a generation. As he connected with the ball, hitting with a pure, straight bat and a wondrous follow-through, I realised why he made six-hitting such a new, explosive joy.

His back leg launched an almighty dance into the air, thrusting his whole body into the completed athletic movement. Raina’s back-leg-high, climbing follow-through will change the game. He is hitting sixes with absolute new dynamism and athleticism. Forget the stupid switch hit or the risky scoop, the Raina high-step has been released for all to admire as a truly great shot. It reminds me of what Mark Greatbatch did in the 1992 World Cup with his similar drop-kick technique.

And it made me think: who else has grabbed me like this, during my lifetime? What are the images that have shone forever?,” Crowe described Raina’s clean striking of the ball to clear the ball into the stands comfortably in his column. READ: Martin Crowe: The man cricket never caught up with

Crowe was one of the few legends produced by New Zealand in cricket. He is the reason for the Black Caps having the likes of Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor. Crowe had been mentoring them until the cancer had struck his life. He called the duo the two sons he had never had and was very nervous ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 final between New Zealand and Australia. Crowe wanted to watch the Black Caps to lift the elite trophy because he was aware he probably would not live to watch another World Cup.

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