Suresh Raina, who returned to Test cricket bagging a pair in the fourth and final Test of the four-match series against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, says he was utterly disappointed with his performance but the fact that India were able to draw the game helped him overcome the horror show.
"In Sydney (fourth Test) I played my first Test after more than two years and didn't score a run. That hit me real bad. Everyone in the team tried to cheer me up saying 'it's okay, it was hard luck'. But I was really disappointed. I was just stunned. It felt like a bad dream. I had worked so hard for this opportunity and earned it after so long," Raina told bcci.tv.
"It happened to me in England in 2011 - I got a pair in the Oval Test and then did well in the ODIs. So, I had been in that situation before. But this time it was tougher because of how long I had waited for this chance. What helped me get over it was that we drew the Test. Had we lost it, it would have been devastating for me," he added.
Raina said the prospect of playing ODIs in the tri-series in a format where he is one of the senior players egged him to put in the hard yards. "I learned a lot in the next two days after that Test, gathered myself and practised really hard with the white ball. It was a new format and the one I have done well in. I put the Test behind me and started to focus on the ODIs. I am glad I could score a few runs right away," he said.
Raina's limitations against the short-pitched deliveries are not unknown but the 28-year-old said he is better equipped to take on the short ball now. "People have been talking about the short ball for years now. But I have come a long way. I worked hard with Sachin paaji at the BKC and with (Pravin) Amre sir as well. I believe I have improved a lot in that regards and it shows in the way I have been playing the bouncer for quite a while now," he said.
Looking ahead to his side's chances in the upcoming matches of the tri-series, Raina feels that the bowling is an area the team has to improve. "I feel that we can improve our bowling. We scored close to 270 in Melbourne. In the World Cup, we might have to defend 240-odd runs and for that our bowling needs to be much better. We didn't have Ishant and that made a lot of difference. His presence will be a big boost in the coming matches. Bhuvi bowled really well today, especially in the death," he said.
Raina says that coach Duncan Fletcher has implemented a team integration system by giving every player "leadership responsibilities". "The good thing about this team is that everyone is encouraged to take up leadership responsibilities. We have come up with a system in the team wherein we form small groups and discuss our performances at length. There is a different leader every day. Among batsmen sometimes it is Virat, at times Rohit or me. Ishant, Shami and Bhuvi take turns with the bowling group.
"The idea behind this system is for each player to express himself. If you don't know what a person is thinking or how he is feeling, you tend to assume things about him and wonder why you're not getting the response you're looking for. If everyone speaks up, there is an open communication within the team and that helps us understand each other better. It is a very good system that Duncan (Fletcher) has brought into practice," he added.
Looking ahead to the upcoming World Cup, Raina is confident of his teams' chances of defending the title. "We have played very competitive cricket in the last two months and that has made the boys very tough. They are all very hungry to perform and win. We have done very well in the ICC tournaments in the last four years and that gives the boys a lot of confidence. We are hungry. Every individual in the team is," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment