Messiah Suresh Raina Delivers in England, but What Next?
Suresh Raina inspired India to a historic bilateral ODI series triumph in England, but the defeat at Leeds raised some questions once again. What next for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men?
Suresh Raina's arrival in England was like a whiff of fresh air for India, who went on to win a bilateral ODI series in that country after 24 years, despite a hammering in the Tests.
One of the first things Raina promised to do upon landing in England was to bring the smiles back in the Indian dressing-room. He did that with style, slamming a 75-ball hundred in the Cardiff ODI and delivering a sensational Indian win that formed the bedrock for the rest of the series. (Ganguly Backs India to Defend World Cup)
Raina was the true messiah for a side that had been ripped apart by critics home and away. He slammed 160 runs at an average of 53.33 and claimed four wickets at 29.25 runs apiece to be named Man of the Series, only for the second time in the series. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer had first received the award against England for managing 277 runs at an average of 92.33 apart from claiming two wickets (ave.14.50) in five games in the 2012-13 series against England.
Raina batted, bowled and fielded brilliantly to single-handedly lift the morale of the Indian side. When India were in trouble in Cardiff, Raina came out all guns blazing; if MS Dhoni needed a partnership to be broken, Raina was there to deliver with the ball. Not for nothing did Sunil Gavaskar call him a 100 per cent cricketer. "He is one of those 100 percenters whether it's batting, bowling or fielding," the former India captain, had told NDTV.
However, the defeat in the dead-rubber will hurt India. The success story through the series did not repeat itself at Leeds but the old concerns continued to haunt Dhoni's team. Virat Kohli's horrid run of form did not change and the middle-order, without support from Raina, caved in.
Raina did prove to be the inspiration for the turnaround after the Test debacle, but the other stars will have to step up with the World Cup approaching, a title many feel India cannot defend. However, Raina urged his teammates to remain confident and positive, traits that have helped shape the kind of cricketer he is today.
"We got the belief in the one-dayers. The World Cup is around the corner and we need to stay positive. We've worked hard on our game and this group (the limited overs specialists) has won us the series," Raina said after the end of India's victorious ODI campaign in England.
Winning games and retaining world titles are of course not just about positive attitude. Like Dhoni said, India will need to step up in their slog overs bowling to ensure that the batsmen are not left staring at huge chases everytime in Australia and New Zealand. Just a day after India's series win, Dhoni is already looking ahead to the World Cup, hoping to have his bowling unit fit and ready by the time the major tournament starts in 2015. The last 10 overs on Friday yielded 88 runs for England and that allowed the hosts to run away with the game and redeem some pride.
More importantly, India will also hope for Virat Kohli to find some form. The Indian vice-captain failed to score a half-century for 14 innings in succession across the Tests and ODIs, recording his worst sequence.
There are plenty of positives still and Raina is the leading example. Shunned not long back for a major dip in form, he went back to the drawing board and charted his return to the Indian team. Raina has come back a better player and a more dangerous batsman. If the rest of young India play like him and show the same attitude, Dhoni's men will be regarded as favourites in the 2015 World Cup.