Raina's career didn't reach its potential

How often in sports do we see two retirements on the same day from the same team? Not long after Mahendra Singh Dhoni bid adieu to international cricket, Suresh Raina followed suit. For many, it was a great gesture of friendship from the southpaw. As the cricketing world paid tribute to a legend’s journey, it also acknowledged another impressive career that could have scaled greater heights.

Raina, first Indian batsman to score a ton in all three formats, succeeded the most in one-day internationals. Despite beginning with a duck in 50-over cricket, Raina made 5615 runs in 226 appearances with 36 half-centuries and five centuries. On the contrary, for someone who started with a bang in Tests (120 on debut against Sri Lanka in 2010), Raina couldn’t last more than 18 games in the longest format.

With a high backlift that would have made even Brian Lara proud, Raina was an asset to the team during his prime with his attacking approach. The dashing batsman had the knack of upping the ante in crucial junctures of an innings. His terrific fielding and breakthroughs with his golden arm provided the vital impetus to the team’s confidence.

The Uttar Pradesh batsman often earned praise for being a team man. Courtesy the flexible nature of his game, India used him as an attacker at the top and also as a finisher, whenever needed.

Once his problem against short balls stood exposed, fast bowlers began to suffocate Raina with bouncers. It led to his career’s decline with the Test journey being the first causality. He never wore the Indian whites after bagging a pair against Australia in the fourth Test in Sydney in 2015.

With no improvement in his technique to handle the short ball, he struggled to get a steadier footing in the Indian side. Once a certainty in the Indian playing XI, Raina’s comeback pursuit was further hit by injuries. “I had multiple surgeries, setbacks, and moments when I felt that this is it but I didn’t stop or settle for anything which was not justified,” he wrote in his retirement statement on Sunday.

Apart from his many big knocks, Raina’s two cameos in the 2011 World Cup knockout games are worth their weight in gold. Joining hands with a well-set Yuvraj Singh, Raina scripted an unbeaten 34 off 28 balls in a tense quarterfinal chase that saw India knock Australia out of the competition. In the semifinal against Pakistan, Raina’s 36 not out helped a struggling Indian batting post a respectable 260/9.

Raina, who entered the international stage on the back of piling runs consistently in domestic circuit, will go down as an important part in India’s ODI dominance in the last decade. But when the 33-year-old exited the scene on Saturday, he left us wanting for more.