From sidekick to Hero

March 31,2006 saw India saunter to yet another win while chasing a modest total of 227 at Faridabad. Yet the match would be more remembered for the emergence of a new hero, Suresh Raina. At first glance, this teenager from Ghaziabad,more famous for it’s factories, shopping malls and companies than any cricket hero, seems like an ordinary next door guy and the type who looks as if he couldnt even hurt a fly. Yet as he had shown, this lad, has not only talent, but temparement and oodles of it. The innings he played at Ghaziabad, was not a fluke, hit and bang kind, it was an innings played with such maturity, that the video of this innings should be shown to every one.
This was not the first time either, during the Sri Lanka series, he played a similiar superb knock along with Dhoni to clinch the series at Pune. But then he went unnoticed in the Dhoni wave, that swept the nation, as well as the hapless Lankans.
In Pune, Dhoni was the hero, and Raina was the sidekick. And in the later ODI’s never really got much of a chance, because by then Yuvaraj Singh, had taken on the responsibility of finishing the innings. Today the roles were reversed, with Raina the hero, and Dhoni, believe it or not, playing the support act. Its as if Sanjay Suri was playing the hero, and Shahrukh Khan was doing the support act. The match also showed that Dhoni is not just a hit and miss biffer, he can switch gears and bat according to the situation, something which Gautam Gambhir needs to learn. Every time he keeps on flattering to deceive, and so with Yuvaraj Singh. I thought Yuvi matured a lot after the Pakistan tour, but he seems back to his good old ways again. Well much as i am happy after India’s win, the top order has now again failed , and this is not a happy pattern. They need to learn from Dhoni and Raina, how to stick around at crease, and play according to merits of situation. And finally Dravid, nice to be the Wall and play out the bowling, but that doesnt mean u leave the bad balls too, and dont take the singles. Sirjee, i admire u as one of the greatest batsman, but please, dont get too carried away. U came in with score at 60/1, run rate of around 5, all u needed to do was rotate the strike, give it to Gambhir, and keep the scoreboard ticking. Unfortunately u got bogged down, and got out, and an unnecessary pressure was built up. Quite disappointing Sir.