Suresh Raina is the backbone of Team India’s middle-order in the limited-overs format and is in fine form lately with the bat. Raina is peaking at a right time but there are more good news waiting for the southpaw, as he is in mix of a Test recall.
Raina is an integral part of the Indian team in the ODIs and T20s but the stylish left-hander is yet to cement his place in the Test squad. He has pilled 768 runs in 29 Test innings, featuring one hundred and seven fifties, and his last appearance in whites was two years ago against New Zealand.
The 27-year-old Raina has been named to lead Board President XI against the West Indies in a three-day warm-up fixture, after the limited-overs series. A fine performance with the bat will certainly put him in contention for the forthcoming Test series against Windies.
Team India director Ravi Shastri has already backed the Uttar Pradesh batsman for a Test place, calling him a “treat to watch”. Raina is yet to fulfill his potential in the longest version of the game and his temperament has always been under scrutiny.
“The more I see him play, he is brilliant to watch,” Shastri said. “It will be my endeavor, really, to do something that will get him back into the Indian Test team. He is a class act.”
“When he is going (great guns), he is a treat to watch,” he added. “Even at times when I see him bat at the nets, when the ball hits the bat, just that sound or sense of timing, you know, it is something different. Let’s hope, fingers crossed.”
The practice match will take place from October 25 to October 27 in Kanpur and Raina will be aiming to make it count. There are question marks over the fitness of Rohit Sharma, who missed the ODI series, and it could fall into Raina’s favour.
Board President XI: Suresh Raina (c), Jiwanjot Singh, K.L. Rahul, Naman Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Karun Nair, Parvez Rasool, Pankaj Singh, Ishwar Pandey, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav.
