Suresh Raina heaps praise on MS Dhoni, explains why he is a brilliant finisher
What’s the story?
Suresh Raina might not be playing for the Indian team currently, but the left-handed batsman is still a crowd favourite, and one of the most hardworking cricketers in domestic circles.
Part of the 2011 World Cup winning squad, Raina played most of his international cricket under MS Dhoni. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, he spoke highly of the former India captain, explaining why he is one of the best finishers of the game.
In case you didn’t know…
Raina formed several crucial partnerships with Dhoni over the course of the last 10 years, forging a memorable association with the former Indian captain in the middle order. It all started with the 2005 series against Sri Lanka, and continued till the T20Is against England earlier this year.
The heart of the matter
Raina conceded that Dhoni does ‘death-overs practice’, working on the helicopter and the scoop shot in the nets. He also said that he shares a wonderful rapport with Dhoni, especially because both players understand each other’s game very well. When one of the two starts going for his shots, the other one automatically switches to the sheet anchor’s role.
He also said that the reason Dhoni is successful is because he is way ahead of the bowler, and attacks him when the bowler thinks he has the upper hand. Chasing has never been difficult with these two, as they have chased exorbitant totals on numerous occasions across multiple formats and seasons.
What’s next?
Although Raina played the T20I series against England earlier this year, he hasn’t played a single ODI since 2015, while his Test career never took off after a sensational start.
Currently in the Netherlands, Raina was supposed to play the Tamil Nadu Premier League, but his participation was blocked by the BCCI.
Author’s take
For those who have followed Indian cricket in the last decade, Raina’s batting evokes some wonderful memories. From his crucial knocks down the order against Pakistan and Australia in the 2011 World Cup, to his partnership with Dhoni in the 2015 World Cup game against Zimbabwe, Raina has always been a dependable presence in the middle-order and would have continued to be so had a loss of form not led to his ousting.
Hopefully, he will return to the Indian team soon, for he is just 30, and can contribute a lot to cricket in the years to come.