Middle-order batsman Suresh Raina, unfazed by the Test debacle, said India would play “different cricket” and give a better account of itself in the shorter formats of the game.
“We won the ODI series here last time. We have also won the World Cup. It's almost the same set of players, and you will see different cricket from India,” said Raina.
The disappointing show in the Test series would have little effect on the young team, and Raina took pains to stress the point. “The Australians played better cricket in the Test matches. They executed their plans well, and bowled in the right areas.
“Unfortunately, we didn't bat well in pairs. Hopefully, we will do well in the next series,” he added.
Well prepared
Raina's confidence stemmed from the fact that most of the youngsters have prepared well for the forthcoming series.
“The youngsters have done well in the last couple of months. So, we hope for the best. There are a lot of youngsters who have played and done well at home recently. I played three to four domestic games, and also got a double century,” he said.
Raina believed that the present tour would be useful for the youngsters, as the next World Cup, in 2015, is scheduled to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
“We will play the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and the youngsters would benefit a great deal in this regard,” Raina said.
He said that Australia should watch out for the young Indians in the shorter versions, and not keep gloating about its Test success. “The boys are motivated and keen to do well in the upcoming series. Twenty20s and ODIs are a lot different from Tests,” Raina said.
Working hard
About his preparation for the current series, Raina said: “I went to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, and also worked on my wrist position on the bouncy wickets at the NCA and in Mumbai. I worked with Sandeep Patil,” he said.
India has not done well in Twenty20s of late, be it a bilateral series or a big event like the World Cup. This is reflected in the rankings as the team is currently No. 7, just ahead of the West Indies.
“We have to do well. Fielding is going to be a major factor here. We have to take catches and effect run-outs. We have good all-rounders who can hit the ball hard and take wickets. We have variety in the bowling department, thanks to bowlers like Praveen [Kumar], Irfan [Pathan] and Vinay [Kumar]. Hopefully, you would see an improved performance.”
The spunky youngster is hoping that a good show in the limited-overs leg of the Australian tour would open the doors for him in Tests again.
