As he dissected India's performance after their heavy defeat to Australia in the first ODI, MS Dhoni also revealed an important development: India are trying to develop Suresh Raina
as a No 4 batsman with an eye on the 2015 World Cup. This was why Raina
had been sent in ahead of long-time No 4 Yuvraj Singh in Pune, and he
would bat there for a while, according to his captain.
"As of now what we want is for Suresh to bat at No 4 for a considerable
period of time," Dhoni said. "It's only Yuvraj Singh who we have got and
if he is in good form and we go till the World Cup without anything
happening, then he will bat there. But if he doesn't, all of a sudden we
can't say we do not have a No 4 batsman.
"All the other slots, we have players and we even have replacements. But
apart from Yuvraj, I don't see anybody who has batted 50 ODIs at No 4.
That can be a concern and we will have to rectify that from this point.
No point going too late and then saying we don't have time to do
anything."
Dhoni's rationale in wanting a back-up for a crucial batting position is
understandable, especially given Yuvraj's recent history. Yes, he's
made his second comeback since recovering from cancer but it is still
unclear how his form will hold up as the World Cup approaches. He is
obviously the first-choice No 4 but there is every reason to have a
contingency plan in place.
So for the second time in his eight-year international career, Raina
will get another sustained run up the order. The first opportunity had
come in 2008, when over 13 successive innings in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India, he produced one century and four fifties at an average of nearly 40.
As his career has progressed, Raina's desire to gain a promotion in the
line-up has increased. He's seen Virat Kohli come in and establish
himself at No 3 with a string of hundreds. Raina knows that for all the
death-over slogging, it is the centuries that catch attention and bring
lasting recognition. Last year, Raina pointed out that he'd "scored only
three (ODI) hundreds", as he staked his claim for elevation again.
While Raina's desire cannot be faulted, mere elevation in the batting
order will not result in more hundreds. They will have to be earned by
taking on the responsibility of building an innings, something Raina
hasn't exactly shown the inclination for when he has been given the
chance. Captaincy should ideally translate into more cautious batting,
as in Dhoni's case, but when Raina led India in Zimbabwe in 2010 and in the West Indies in 2011, he refused to change his aggressive approach.
India had sent second-string sides for both tours, and Raina mostly came
in with plenty of overs to go after a top-order wobble. In nine innings
over those tours, he averaged 23.57, including two not-outs in chases
that were almost over by the time he walked in. Three times he failed
going for his favourite slog-sweep when the situation demanded
restraint.
In Pune, Raina looked to launch James Faulkner over midwicket, after
gaining a hard-earned start against Mitchell Johnson's pace, and fell
for 39. It was not the ideal response from a No 4 batsman at that point
in a tough chase. Raina, however, is used to going for similar strokes
to similar deliveries. Aggression comes naturally to him. Also, an
overwhelming majority of his career has been spent at No 5 or below.
Often, he doesn't have the luxury of getting himself in so these shots
are instinctive.
It is not to say Yuvraj would have never gone for the same shot at that
moment. But at No 4, a batsman must temper the urge to turn a 10-run
over into a 16-run over with an eye on the big picture. Yuvraj has done
that successfully for more than a decade. He can hit six sixes in an
over in a Twenty20, but he also makes sure he lasts long enough to get
the big scores that win ODI games. That necessitates controlling the
urge to deposit one more over midwicket. It needs one to duck under a
few short balls early on rather than try to work them for singles, one
of Raina's preferred ways of handling the bouncer barrage he usually
faces. Dhoni knows Raina will need some time to unlearn and adjust.
"We will have to give him some kind of experience at No 4," Dhoni said.
"He's batted too long at No 6. That is why sometimes you see these
instinctive shots, when the batsman sees and goes after them. It is very
important that he uses these opportunities well. Then we'll have two
batsmen who have a fair amount of exposure at No 4."
Raina has the chance to increase his centuries from "only three." Will
he able to adapt and rein himself in? India will have a clearer picture
of his ability by the end of the Australia series
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