Has Raina revitalized wobbling Team India at Cardiff ?

New Delhi: Moving away from the humiliating test series defeat, Team India started its ODI campaign with a big 133 runs victory against England in the first one dayer. Now the time was to shift gear to the faster format of the game and both teams included their specialists to pump up the game.The conditions for India were similar to tests but one man Suresh Raina made the difference.No one could have imagine the 300 plus total after the shaky start India got in the second ODI at Cardiff on Wednesday. Under the overcast conditions, and after putting on to bat by England's skipper Alastair Cook, India lost Dhawan and Kohli early and were seen struggling for a decent score.It was in 30th over when Rohit Sharma's patient innings of 52 ended with India managing a run rate over four runs an over. From there on to fire up the run rate to six an over or 9 an over in the last 20 overs skipper MS Dhoni with his CSK mate Suresh Raina built a solid 144 run stand for fifth wicket in 17 overs at about 8.4 runs per over.It was a pleasure to see Raina batting so astonishingly on the same conditions where his teammates like Kohli, Dhawan are having a continuous failure. His captain too continued his form with the bat and gloves where as Dhawan failed yet again to give a good opening stand.A hundred in any game has its value and in this game its worth could only be weighed in gold because Raina's 75-ball effort steered his team to victory. It was his first ODI century outside the Indian sub-continent.The first ODI at Bristol being washed away by the rain would have further demoralised the side which went through convulsions both on-and-off the field in the last couple of months.Ravindra Jadeja who was scrutinized as a player and a person during the test series after an ugly spat with James Anderson in first test was also looking good in blues as a 10 over spinner with 4 wickets for 28 runs in 7 overs. After the way he bowled in five tests where he was struggling, we finally get to see “Sir” Ravindra Jadeja.Fast bowlers around the world may have been thinking Raina tiny for the short pitch deliveries but at Cardiff he appeared to have sorted the bowlers out instead of the other way round. He found ways to milk the short ball for runs, ducked at some with conviction and he once even carted it over fine-leg for a six.Now as a useful backup bowler in certain situations and conditions, he also picked up a wicket of Chris Jordan who was plumbed straight.Now there will be a fan's demand for his recall to the Test side since he has handled the short ball better than his teammates did in Tests but yes, you can't bat in ODIs like in tests or vice versa.On the other hand, England skipper Alastair Cook's ODI captaincy has become a point of debate and many experts are also saying that England have no chance in the upcoming World Cup in 2015. While Dhoni has no such critics who can question on his batting, captaincy and work behind the stumps in ODIs.Dhoni is seen as a manipulative master in the shorter formats and he will have to be allowed to defend the World Cup India won under his captaincy four years ago in Mumbai. As of now, both the boards are standing by their respective captains.There are still 3 matches left in the series and India would not like to repeat what happened in the test series. The first test was drawn and the first ODI was abandoned, thus no result in the first matches of both test and ODI series. Thereafter India won the second match with a comprehensive margin. But what happened in the remaining 3 tests should now be the history.Not only Suresh Raina, every player in the team would like to grab the opportunity for the World Cup next year with plenty more tests and ODIs remaining.

Has Raina revitalized wobbling Team India at Cardiff ?

New Delhi: Moving away from the humiliating test series defeat, Team India started its ODI campaign with a big 133 runs victory against England in the first one dayer. Now the time was to shift

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