Published: Apr 01, 2013, 03:33 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 01, 2013, 03:33 PM (IST)
Suresh Raina has played 17 Test matches for India © AFP
Mumbai: Apr 1, 2013
West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara on Monday backed Indian all-rounder Suresh Raina to play Test cricket, saying that Raina has it in him to ‘make it big in that arena’.
Lara wrote on the Indian cricketers’ Twitter page, “i want to see u playing some more test cricket and i know u have what it takes to make it big in that arena…” (sic)
Raina said in his reply that he has been working very hard to force his way back into the national Test side.
He wrote, “yes I want to play test cricket so badly been working hard since I dropped from the team.. Hope fully I will make it soon..” (sic)
The Caribbean legend then replied saying that he will be having a chat with Raina when they meet next time.
“wen i see u we will have a chat could help with a few things bro want to see u at ur best all forms of the game,” Lara wrote. (sic)
Lara added, “If we meet up we can work on a few things… Want u in SA scoring TEST runs. It’s not hard at all. Plenty of it is mental strength.” (sic)
Raina lost his place in the Test team after a not-too-impressive show in the short two-Test series against New Zealand in September 2012 and was not considered for the four-game rubber subsequently against England.
The 27-year-old Uttar Pradesh batsman, who has figured in 17 Tests so far, said a few months ago that he wants to score big tons.
“It’s very important for me to just look to score 100. Not just 100 but 150 or 160, then I can be more mentally tough for Test matches. I have done that in the past and have scored two or three double hundreds in first class cricket.”
“When you score a lot of big hundreds, it definitely helps your batting,” Raina, who has just one hundred from his debut match against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2010, said.
