Hunger for Test consistency drives Raina

After a successful ODI series against England, Indian middle order batsman Suresh Raina has his eye on the number 5 spot in the Test team. For a man who struck a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka, Raina has had a rather uphill road in the test arena. He performed well in the Test series against the West Indies just after the World Cup, but failed to perform well in the following series against England and South Africa.

He was subsequently dropped from the Test team for the remainder of the season. He then returned to the domestic circle, making regular appearances as the captain of Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy .

Raina claims that his short stint in the Ranji Trophy has made him a more disciplined batsman. One could see the glimpses of discipline when many a time in the recent ODI series against England, he came in at tense situations, and played against his natural attacking
style for the team’s cause.

What’s more interesting about this dasher from Uttar Pradesh is that his part-time off-spinners could lend Dhoni an option for the fifth bowler’s slot in times of distress. In the ODIs, Dhoni has many a time tossed the ball to Raina when a partnership seems to threaten Team India, and Raina has never disappointed his captain in such situations. Further improvement in Raina’s bowling could be very beneficial for Team India.

And one can never ignore the useful presence of Raina in the field. As lively as a squirrel, Raina pounces on every ball that comes his way inside the 30-yard circle. His encouraging words to the bowler and the fielders lend some confidence to his team mates. Discipline and consistency are the keys to success in the Test arena. Players require a lot of focus to survive these gruelling five day battles. A player may bat for 7-8 hours, but that should never reflect when his side comes out to bowl.

Raina will have to keep all these things in mind if he has to cement his place in the Test team, because there is some stiff competition for the number 5 spot. Ravindra Jadeja is back in the reckoning after striking 3 triple centuries in the Ranji Trophy. Raina has been consistent in his recent outings, and with the failure of Yuvraj Singh in Test matches after his return, Raina may as well have grabbed the selectors’ attention for a spot in the Test team against Australia.