Suresh Raina took tips from Sachin Tendulkar to mentally prepare himself for England ODIs

Suresh Raina

Indian middle order batsman Suresh Raina informed that he sought Sachin Tendulkar’s help in a bid to strengthen himself mentally ahead of the 5-match ODI series against England. The 27-year-old since leading India to a 2-0 ODI series win in Bangladesh has been engaged in preparations all around the country and approached the ‘master blaster’ during his outing in Mumbai.

Help from Sachin Tendulkar

"I practiced in Delhi, Noida on a turf wicket and played a few matches in rainy conditions. I went to the Lucknow sports college where I stayed in the boarding school as a kid and practiced there a lot. For the last 10 days or so, I was in Mumbai working at the BKC [Bandra Kurla Complex] indoor facilities. I feel good going into this series and having done well here before there is a level of confidence as well.

"He came there to play badminton and since Arjun practiced in the nets there, Sachin paaji came to give him some tips. I went up to him and asked how should one go about things in England. I had a lot of conversations with him mainly on the mental side of things. I also worked with [Pravin] Amre sir there at the BKC on various aspects of my batting," Raina was quoted saying to the BCCI.tv

The southpaw also revealed that he has been practising with a taped tennis ball to counter the seamer friendly English conditions before adding that the long net sessions ahead of the series will come in handy.

“I played a lot with a taped tennis ball to simulate the movement. We have two long practice sessions here at the Lord’s and then a warm-up match against Middlesex. Then we go to Bristol and have two more practice sessions there. We have enough time until the first ODI to get into the groove and settle down in these conditions,” Raina said.

Team is striving for success

The Uttar Pradesh cricketer was upbeat about India’s fortunes against the side that thrashed them 1-3 in the recently concluded Test series. He said that the players who flopped in the longer formats are working hard to come good.

“The team is going through a difficult phase right now and it is time for us to show character. It can be difficult sometimes to move on from such defeat but you have to fight your way out of it when you’re playing at the international level. The new players will bring freshness in the squad which will help the guys who have been here for the Tests regain the positivity. They are striving to learn from their mistakes and we will add fresh spirit,” he said.

The limited overs specialist is known for his positivity in the field and always the first one to congratulate his teammates on their success.

"I always try to maintain the cheerfulness in the team, on and off the field. I am the first person to run to the bowler or fielder when a wicket falls. Small things like running to the bowler at fine leg or third man to fetch his sweater can make a huge difference in the teams atmosphere,” he pointed out.

Commenting on Sourav Ganguly’s tips: “I had a chat with him on batting. Being a leftie he guided me on things like arm position and other subtle technical things. However, most of it was about the mental makeup when batting in England,” he concluded.

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