Why it is premature to call for the axing of Raina and Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina deserve a longer rope in the Indian team

The relationship between Indian cricketers and their fans is quite mercurial. When on song, Indian cricketers are given a red carpet treatment but when the form evades them, they are treated like as if they have set the homes of their fans on fire.

Even the greats like Dhoni and Sachin faced the ire of fans when they went through a lean patch. The calls to axe a player in Indian cricket sometimes come as prematurely as a child who dosesn’t like his new toy after only two days.

The same mercurial behaviour is shown by the fans now against Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina.The two southpaws are going through a lean phase and the calls for their axe is coming from all corners.

But the calls for their axe seems premature. The two stars have performed for India in a number of matches and they deserve a longer rope in the Indian team.

Raina and Dhawan are proven ODI performers

Even with the fickle memory that many Indian fans have, some of the fans will remember the first match India played in the Champions trophy 2013. Against the South African team, Shikhar Dhawan blazed to a superb century. His innings laid the foundation of a big score and India eventually won the match.

In a crucial match, the man who likes twirling his moustache delivered. Shikhar Dhawan has an ODI average of 43.23 and an ODI average above 40 is no mean feat. It may turn out to be just a lean patch in his career.

Suresh Raina was the player who played a crucial cameo in the semifinal against Pakistan in 2011 World Cup. He bats at a position where scoring a hundred is very difficult and getting credit for the runs you score is tough.

Even in the current series against South Africa he has got out two times trying to slog from the word go. In the fourth ODI of the series though he played a crucial innings of 53. Backing Suresh Raina is crucial for India as they have invested so much in him and he has the ability to fulfill the expectations.

Suresh Raina can be the finisher India needs

The Indian middle order consists of Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni. With MS Dhoni wanting to bat up the order and Rahane and Kohli comfortable in the top order, the only name that suits the role of the finisher is Suresh Raina. He is one guy who even MS Dhoni suggested can hit right from the start of the innings.

He has the attacking game and the shots to provide a blistering finish to the innings. India need to back Raina in his lows so that he can be the finisher India so desperately needs in the ODI format.

Backing the players you trust sends the right message

MS Dhoni is known as the captain who backs his players to the hilt. He was the one person who backed Rohit Sharma when he was in abysmal form and then promoted him to open the innings which worked like a charm for Rohit Sharma’s ODI career. It was the right move because backing the players you trust sends the vibe of confidence in the dressing room.

During the bad phase of Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina, the Indian dressing room needs to back their abilities. It is a testing time for the two quality players and backing them will instill the confidence in these players which can go a long way to bring them back to their glory days.

If India drops any or both these players then it will send a message in the dressing room that none’s place is secure in the team and it might turn out to be a controversial move which may create mayhem in the dressing room.

India needs to be wary of acting in a childish way by axing Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina. These two are quality players and should perform, albeit after a string of matches when they might have gone through a lean patch.