Tags:
Journalism of Courage
He was the Chappell regime8217;s blue-eyed boy, but Suresh Raina8217;s rise to success was as meteoric as his fall. The UP boy was touted to be a replacement for Sachin Tendulkar. Then suddenly he wasn8217;t the flavour of the month any more, joining the 8216;fringe8217; list.
However, life sometimes comes with second chances, and tomorrow Raina will hopefully get his, as India A take on South Africa A in the first of the two four-day matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.
8220;I was injured during the Ranji season, but I8217;m better now, back to full fitness, and looking forward to coming back into the Indian team 8212; if I do well here that is,8221; said Raina.
He says that he has used this time off from cricket well, experimenting with things like meditation and yoga to improve his overall game.
8220;From focusing on my fitness to improving my batting, I have made sure that when I do return to the game I would be a more mature player with less erratic shots,8221; he added.
And one gets to see that first hand at nets. His shots were more controlled and grounded. He treated the bad balls with the same force and aggression that he possessed, but there was a sanity.
He says the time away from the game was made a bit easier through the support of senior players, who helped him with useful tips on his game.
8220;Sachin bhai, Rahul bhai, Sourav Sir, all called me to boost my confidence. Hopefully I8217;ll do well in this game. They put me on the right track, asked how I was preparing and told me to believe in myself. 8216;Just be positive8217; soon became my mantra.8221;
Raina was also slated to play in the English minor county league, but he stated that the contract with one of the clubs fell through. He is still trying, though.
This may be a second chance for Suresh Raina, but a bigger game for Bengal player Manoj Tiwary who will be playing his first major tournament after his shoulder injury that he incurred during the Bangladesh tour.
Though Tiwary played an innings against Assam in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad, he managed only 17 runs that included three boundaries.
8220;He is fit and is looking good. I am glad to have him on the side and also Suresh. These two will strengthen the middle order,8221; said India A coach Paras Mambhrey.
8220;All in all the team looks balanced, and I am hoping to see some good performances form the younger guys. We will miss Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla, but this only gives the new guys a chance to prove themselves,8221; he said.
