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Dhoni:”Raina’s innings came at right time”; at win of second ODI against England

Indian skipper, Dhoni, praised left-handerĀ  batsman, Suresh Raina, for his brilliant 100 that played a starring role in India’s crushing victory over England in the second ODI at Cardiff.

Batting first after losing the toss, India recovered from a wobbly 132/4 to end up with an imposing 304/6 from their allotted 50 overs. England were never in the chase as they capitulated to 161 all-out, losing the match by a whopping margin of 133 runs (according to D/L method). This was Raina’s 4th ODI hundred and his first outside the sub-continent.

Dhoni said Rains’s knock was the difference between the two teams. “It was a fantastic knock,” said Dhoni, about Raina’s 75-ball 100. “By the end of the 30th over, we had not scored too many runs. It was important that he stayed at the crease because he was a set batsman. And we have realised that if we can get a partnership going and have wickets in hand, we can score a lot of runs in the last 10-12 overs. So his innings was very crucial in that respect,” he added.

Raina Dhoni partnership helped India recover from the poor start, and then hammered 62 runs in the batting power-play to take the match away from the hosts. The duo added 144 runs for the 5th wicket as India scored 147 runs in the last 15 overs of the innings.

Raina’s knock included 12 boundaries and three massive sixes, and even MD Dhoni’s more than a run-a-ball fifty was completely overshadowed by the left-hander’s onslaught. “Raina is someone who scores at a very quick pace and he plays authentic cricketing shots. So I feel he played a fantastic innings as once he got his fifty, he continued and moved on to play some fantastic shots and got his hundred,” said Dhoni, showering further praise on his younger team-mate.

The Indian captain was non-committal when asked if this knock of Raina would pave the way for the left-handed batsman’s inclusion in the 2015 World Cup, to be jointly co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. “The thing is that if a batsman plays one good innings, he is put up on a pedestal. If he doesn’t play good cricket or indeed if Raina had not played this innings, the questions could have been very different.

“If Raina doesn’t score in a couple of games against the West Indies (at home in October), some other questions will be asked. So let us just say that it was a very good hundred. The World Cup is still three-four series away. Hopefully he won’t be injured and will be available for selection at that time as that will be good for us,” Dhoni said.