Top 5 underrated ODI knocks of Suresh Raina

There are very few Indian players who can bat, bowl and field outstandingly. Suresh Raina is definitely one of those considering the intensity he brings whenever he is at the center of action.

He saves a lot of runs to the team with amazing efforts on the field and also chips in with a decent number of overs when the main bowlers are having a bad day. Raina has an economy of 5.11 in the 50-over format which is impressive considering the fact he is the sixth bowler in the team.

Raina's main strength of batting has been handy to the team whenever it has been in a sticky situation. Having represented India in 226 ODIs, he averages 35.31 at a strike-rate of 93.50 with 5 centuries and 36 fifties. He has been the most flexible batsman and has batted at different positions depending on the team’s requirement.

A quickfire 40 or a wicket to break a big partnership can turn the game on its head and Raina has done those on numerous occasions to the team. There have been instances where his contributions down the order were overshadowed by big knocks from his teammates. Let us look at some of the underrated ODI knocks of Raina.

---

#5 66 off 39 against New Zealand at Napier (2009)

After losing both the T20s against the Kiwis,it was time for the Indian team to perform well in the 50 over format. The first ODI was at Napier where India batted first and got to 273 in 38 overs. India were 27 for no loss when it started to rain heavily and the match was reduced to 38 overs per side.

Sehwag scored 77 off 56 before falling to Vettori. Yuvraj ran himself out and the team found themselves in a mix. Raina came in at 5 and started playing aggressive shots from the start with Dhoni at the other end.

The pair put up 110 runs in just 12.2 overs with Raina playing the cameo and Dhoni playing the support role. Raina was in superb touch and the sixes over the deep mid-wicket was a treat to watch.

He got to his fifty in just 31 balls and the Kiwis were mere spectators. He ended up scoring 66 off 39 balls with 5 boundaries and 4 maximums. If not for that innings by Raina, India would have fallen short. This innings proved his worth to the team.

#4 81 off 89 against England at Faridabad (2006)

England were all-out for 226 on a track with low bounce and suitable for spinners. The Indians got a great start, thanks to the opening pair of Sehwag and Gambhir who put up 61 runs to the first wicket. Everything was going well until a mid-innings occurred and they were down to 92 for 5 from 61 for no loss.

England smelled victory with the last recognized pair of Dhoni and Raina on crease. They had a humongous target and nobody would had thought that this pair would steer India to victory. England missed the trick by having more pacers than spinners which proved costly later on.

Raina, just 19 years of age, showed a lot of character and temperament in the way he approached this innings. He got to his first half century in 65 balls. The way he applied himself on this low-bouncy proved his place in the team. He, along with Dhoni, built a 118-run stand for the 6th wicket and took the hosts across the line.

Raina played himself in and once he was settled,he started playing his natural game dispatching the ball into the crowd. He hit 8 boundaries and a maximum remaining unbeaten on 81 off 89 balls. He was the ‘Player of the Match’.

#3 100 off 75 balls vs England at Cardiff (2014)

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar termed this innings of Raina as one of the top knocks by an Indian batsman in overseas conditions. After failing to make it to the Test squad, Raina had a point to prove in the ODI series.

In the second ODI at Cardiff, India batted first and soon found themselves in trouble after Dhawan and Kohli were back to the pavilion with 19 on board. Rahane departed after making a useful contribution of 41.

It had been four years since Raina had a century in the ODI format and the platform was set this time. He paced his innings very well and got to his fifty in 49 deliveries. After this milestone, he started the counter attack and the next fifty came in just 25 balls.

The left-hander's knock was top notch and consisted of 12 boundaries as well as 3 sixes. He added 144 for the 5th wicket with Dhoni and helped India get to 304. India won the match by 133 runs and Raina was named the ‘Man of the Match’.

#2 74 off 56 balls against Pakistan at Adelaide (2015)

It was the all important World Cup clash between the arch rivals in front of a packed crowd at the Adelaide Oval. India batted first and finished with 300 in 50 overs. When it comes to the contributions in this match, everyone remembers that amazing century by Kohli but forgets the support he got from the other side.

Raina joined Kohli at the crease after the fall of Dhawan's wicket at a time when India were looking for a big total. He was cautious at the start and went over the top on the 13th ball he faced that fetched him a boundary. From then on, he was unstoppable.

Raina picked his spots quite incredibly and didn’t mind taking risks. In the 110-run stand he had with Kohli, he out-scored the right-hander. The moment everyone would cherish for a long time was when Raina raised his arm in happiness after Kohli got to his hundred. The left-hander himself finished at 74 off just 56 balls.

#1 36 off 39 balls against Pakistan at Mohali (2011)

It was the high voltage semi-final for India against Pakistan in Mohali. The hosts got off to a flyer batting first by scoring 48 in 5.5 overs before Sehwag was dismissed. Gambhir tried to stitch a partnership with but got stumped for 27.

A dream spell from Wahab Riaz saw him picking up Kohli and the in-form Yuvraj in quick succession. Dhoni tried hard but couldn’t convert into to a big score. All of this was happening even as Tendulkar was anchoring the innings from the other end.

Raina came in to the crease at the start of 38th over and things looked rather bleak for the team. With 12 overs remaining, 230 to 240 was the projected score. He played a different kind of innings that day.

Even though there was no one to support him at the other end during the death overs, he stuck to his game plan and played the batting powerplay extremely well. His placement was precise and runs flowed. The southpaw ran hard, converted ones into twos and played some incredible shots.

India eventually managed to set a challenging target on this pitch. 36 runs might not be a big score but his contribution at 7 was invaluable. A target of 260 meant that score board pressure was on and the Men in Blue won the match by 29 runs. Sachin won the ‘Man of the Match’ but it was Raina who swelled India's total.