Suresh Raina: The Diligent Perfomer!

38^th over of the world cup quarter final - India lose Dhoni with 74 needed off almost run-a-ball. In walks India’s number 7 with just one game in the world cup preceding that match. 61 deliveries later India secures a spot for the semi-finals without any further change to the wickets column. The man who came out to bat at the fall of the 5^th wicket scored a not out 34 at a strike rate of 121.42 and somehow the name of Suresh Raina doesn’t pop up instantaneously when you recollect that match.

He has been that kind of cricketer - his shortcomings/failures vividly remembered but his innumerable second fiddle invaluable contributions forgotten. Ever since Raina entered the arena in the India jersey he has been invariably perceived as an outstanding athlete, an electric fielder, a dasher with the bat and a modest part-time off spinner. His frequent failures in test cricket have underscored the criticism against his batting and playing in the same eleven as Dhoni & Yuvraj in the coloured jersey have kept his achievements subdued.

Raina has scored 277 in this series against England in the 4 innings that he has batted but like most other days he hasn’t been credited duly. 4 knocks and 4 fifties in different circumstances have been a driving force for the series score-line. Slowly but surely he is emerging as a vital cog in India’s set-up in the limited-overs format. He is inarguably India’s best fielder in any format and a handy part-timer in certain circumstances; an ideal package to have in a limited overs side.

There are few numbers to back the growing repute of Raina the batsman. He is on the verge of leveling the record for most consecutive fifties in ODI cricket for India. Whenever Raina has remained unbeaten in an ODI game, India hasn’t lost one. Batting at number 5, 6 and 7 he has already entered the top 20 all time run-getters at those positions; and 3^rd on that list of current players (only behind Dhoni & Yuvraj). He has been involved in thirteen 100+ & thirty-six 50+ partnerships in 111 innings batting at 5, 6 or 7. Raina is a superstar in the shortest format, and what more can back that statement than the fact that he is the only Indian (in a pool of bashers and stroke players) to have a hundred in T20 internationals!

There are always challenges associated at every level of your professional life. At the beginning there is one to establish yourself on the big stage, a little later to cement your place, then gather momentum to reap benefits of years of hard-work and then phase out with dignity. If this can be a cycle of professionalism, Raina with an 8-year old international career is on the verge of entering that third phase. For his and India’s sake he needs to step up the next level as a cricketer as well. For his entire repertoire he hasn’t conveyed the impression of being the crisis man. Raina has struggled on hard surfaces in Australia, South Africa & West Indies, and for him to succeed over the next two years (with an eye on the 2015 World Cup) there is some room for improvement.

For those who have seen Raina post IPL the recent performances & numbers shouldn’t surprise you one bit. He has turned into a professional finisher and a mature reader of situations post the stints of high-pressure T20 cricket. Often a player’s career shapes up the way the managers design the mould. You get a sense that Raina’s potential has been dwarfed to a limited overs finisher and has been persisted with in that role thus far. He has been quoted as saying that he would like to bat higher in ODIs and also expressed his desire to excel in test cricket. Given the amount of cricket India plays and his age, there is room for him to give a shot at either ambition. Senior players and ex-cricketers have hailed Raina for his work-ethics and sincere practice regimes, as an Indian fan I would hope that this routine can subsidize his weaknesses and help him explore his complete potential.