Suresh Raina is visitors' best bet at No 3 in T20Is, Johannesburg knock shouldn't be judged harshly
As we know Virat Kohli has batted at No 3 in T20, 40 innings in 56 matches before but now, we know Suresh Raina has batted at No 3 in T20, 19 innings in 66 matches. It was in 2011, after the World Cup win, when Kohli cemented his spot in the Indian XI that he first batted at No 3 in T20Is. His averages 57.75 at that position in the batting order.
Raina is synonymous with No 3 when it comes to T20 cricket (domestic, league and at any other level). In fact, it can be said with some confidence (without even checking statistics) that Suresh Raina is visitors' best bet at No 3 in T20Is, when it comes to the Indian Premier League IPL Betting Tips.
Overall, Raina averages 34.70 at No 3 in T20Is, with a strike rate of 138.49. Until 2012, when he was the first choice for this spot, he averaged 37.66 at No 3 in 14 games, at strike rate 137.80. It might seem ordinary, but only because Kohli is an absolute run-hungry monster – an average of 50-plus in T20I cricket is almost a joke! Raina has had a fairly successful outing for India as the No 3 batsman in the shortest format, until at least the arrival of the batting legend avatar that Kohli currently is.
The underlying point herein is what transpired in the first T20I against South Africa at Johannesburg on Sunday. Raina’s selection into the playing XI was as obvious as the sun rising in the morning. Yet, there was a mild surprise when he walked out to bat at No 3, ahead of Kohli who had just finished scoring 558 runs in six ODIs.
This tour has been about chopping and changing things around to suit the strategic calls of the Indian team management. Nothing is surprising anymore when it comes to Kohli’s selection or strategic calls; instead it is better to invest time in understanding the motive behind such moves.
The Indian batting line-up wanted to go hammer and tongs against the Proteas because they had realised early that even 180 was not a par score on this batting beauty of a pitch. But the overall implication of Raina’s selection, and indeed immediate ‘promotion’ in the batting order, is far graver in the longer scheme of things.
Raina is allowed to bat where he is most effective in the T20 format. Any runs he scores in this position will certainly not go unnoticed and serve only to make his case stronger for a return to the ODI squad as well. Mind you, India currently have only Kedar Jadhav serving as a middle-order batsman/part-time spinner and that is not a reliable option. In the lead-up to the World Cup, Raina’s form could have a telling impact on who is given this job for 2019 in England.
Thus, not only does it explain Raina’s ascension to No 3 but, at the micro level, it is also representative of his timely comeback to the international fold. Simply put, Raina has to succeed in order to further his India career and also provide a veritable spin-bowling all-round solution going ahead.
For More : http://bit.ly/2sElgD5
Raina is synonymous with No 3 when it comes to T20 cricket (domestic, league and at any other level). In fact, it can be said with some confidence (without even checking statistics) that Suresh Raina is visitors' best bet at No 3 in T20Is, when it comes to the Indian Premier League IPL Betting Tips.
Overall, Raina averages 34.70 at No 3 in T20Is, with a strike rate of 138.49. Until 2012, when he was the first choice for this spot, he averaged 37.66 at No 3 in 14 games, at strike rate 137.80. It might seem ordinary, but only because Kohli is an absolute run-hungry monster – an average of 50-plus in T20I cricket is almost a joke! Raina has had a fairly successful outing for India as the No 3 batsman in the shortest format, until at least the arrival of the batting legend avatar that Kohli currently is.
The underlying point herein is what transpired in the first T20I against South Africa at Johannesburg on Sunday. Raina’s selection into the playing XI was as obvious as the sun rising in the morning. Yet, there was a mild surprise when he walked out to bat at No 3, ahead of Kohli who had just finished scoring 558 runs in six ODIs.
This tour has been about chopping and changing things around to suit the strategic calls of the Indian team management. Nothing is surprising anymore when it comes to Kohli’s selection or strategic calls; instead it is better to invest time in understanding the motive behind such moves.
The Indian batting line-up wanted to go hammer and tongs against the Proteas because they had realised early that even 180 was not a par score on this batting beauty of a pitch. But the overall implication of Raina’s selection, and indeed immediate ‘promotion’ in the batting order, is far graver in the longer scheme of things.
Raina is allowed to bat where he is most effective in the T20 format. Any runs he scores in this position will certainly not go unnoticed and serve only to make his case stronger for a return to the ODI squad as well. Mind you, India currently have only Kedar Jadhav serving as a middle-order batsman/part-time spinner and that is not a reliable option. In the lead-up to the World Cup, Raina’s form could have a telling impact on who is given this job for 2019 in England.
Thus, not only does it explain Raina’s ascension to No 3 but, at the micro level, it is also representative of his timely comeback to the international fold. Simply put, Raina has to succeed in order to further his India career and also provide a veritable spin-bowling all-round solution going ahead.
For More : http://bit.ly/2sElgD5
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