Raina wants to bat up the order
With six half- centuries in his last 10 one- day internationals, Suresh Raina is on something of a roll. He has also acquired the reputation of a finisher, and says he enjoys seeing India home to victories, something his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had mentioned following the win at Mohali.
Dhoni had also hinted that Raina could be pushed up the order so that he got to play more overs given his current form and growing seniority in India colours. The left- hander himself though, feels setting up wins for the team is what is top of his priority list.
Speaking ahead of the fifth and final ODI against England here on Sunday, Raina said, “I would love to bat up the order. You get 10- 15 overs at no. 6 or 7, so it’s always good to bat up the order. But as long as I am playing for India winning is more important for me than batting up the order. But whenever I get the chance up the order, I will give my 200 per cent.
“I think it is important for me to finish the game. I have been batting really well in the last 10- 15 games I am seeing the ball really well. One more game to go and then I am looking forward to the Test squad and hopefully I can make it to the team.”
As the game here has a morning start, Raina felt the toss would be important. “It is probably going to be very cold in the morning, so the toss is going to be very crucial and the one who wins the toss is going to want to bowl first.
“But we will see. The match is going to be now from 9: 30 am. So it is good for the teams. We saw the wicket yesterday. We had a very good practice today so hopefully things should go well. Let’s hope for the best.
“There is no particular target we have in mind but it is important that you bat well against the new- ball and if you have wickets in hand then you can build on the start.”
With planning for the 2015 World Cup getting under way, Raina agreed it was important for the parttime bowlers to put in effective stints when given the chance. He also felt that the bowling unit had done well in the ongoing series, which was one reason for the team’s confidence and morale.