Discarded India batsman Suresh Raina is hopeful of making a comeback into the national side after the southpaw was ignored for the recently concluded limited overs series against Sri Lanka.
A prolonged lean phase with the bat coupled with fitness issues saw Raina lose his place in the side. Raina last played for India in the T20I series against England in February 2017. Although he was there in the probables for the Sri Lanka limited overs series, Raina along with Yuvraj Singh failed to clear the fitness test.
In a bid to make a comeback, Raina sought the help of Sachin Tendulkar and the Master Blaster duly obliged.
"I was feeling low in between, so I messaged him one day saying, 'I want to come to Mumbai. Can you spend some time with me?' Despite his busy calendar, he spared some time for me. I spent a few days with Sachin Paaji, I practiced with him for three hours daily. He told me I am batting well, my feet are moving nicely. I'm looking more compact. I saw the videos, my head position is coming nicely," Raina told a news website.
"Sachin Tendulkar told me very nice things the other day, sab achha hai, you don’t need to prove anyone. You have done so much, you just need to enjoy your cricket. I always made with high intensity. I know my chance will come," he added.
Raina further said that batting sessions with Tendulkar helped him iron out flaws and that even current Team India coach Ravi Shastri was pleased with his batting.
"You have to make small tweaks now and then. As sometimes you don't realise that your game has changed. That is why you need someone who can tell you that you are going wrong this way, or you are doing good in this area.
"I remember the last time when I went to England, I had few sessions with Sachin Paaji and I scored hundred in the first game in England. Paaji is the most technically right cricketer and his words are always precious. I remember Ravi Bhai (Ravi Shastri) coming to me in England and saying, ‘You are looking good, everything seems to be going well,” Raina signed off.
Taking a dig at the critics, Raina said, "I just want to tell people that I am working hard and I am not the thanda type. I always believed in hard work. 60% is your hard work and 40% is your luck. Look at Yuvraj, he did the same, he worked very hard and came back."
The 30-year old who is very much active in social media garnered a lot of criticism by posting videos and images of his daily routine.
"Who am I pleasing? It's my account, I'm doing all hard work. Sometimes we express things which we want to. It’s my life and I'm enjoying it. I have been exploring so many things in life now. You can't make everyone happy, sometimes you have to see ke aage kya hai (what's there in future). Social media is used by everyone now and it’s an important tool. Look at the Indian team, everyone posts selfies. It’s not only me who is active on social media," Raina signed off.
via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2wNjIXw
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