Suresh Raina continues to struggle in the Ranji Trophy bags a duck against Karnataka

At one place the Indian team is trying various options for the middle order slot to identify the right person for the role heading into the World Cup 2019. Whereas at another there is just the guy they need but there is no intersection of ideas since that man is neither able to match the fitness parameters nor is he justifying his talent. To say Suresh Rain has looked out of sorts in this domestic season would still be an understatement.

After reports that he had failed the yo-yo fitness test which kept him out of the Indian limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, he missed the two following series’ against Australia and New Zealand. But it is not only fitness that’s an issue anymore for Raina who seems to be spending a lot of time and putting in a lot of effort on getting back in shape. At least his social media profiles are an account of that.

Fitness troubles

Eight on ten times he shares a training video every other day on Twitter. While after every interval the selectors sit down to pick a team, a small whisper is heard that Raina failed to clear the yo-yo test which is now the make or break parameter in Indian cricket. There is an entire list of experts who believe performance over a fitness test should be given preference while picking the team.

So, if we are to overlook the fitness benchmarks the left-hander has been in a miserable form. He got the first-class season going with a half century against India Red while leading India Blue in the Duleep Trophy but that is the only fifty plus score for Raina in the last 13 FC innings. His scores read- 0, 6, 33, 10, 16, 0, 5, 6, 29, 1, 45, 40, 52.

His poor run has reflected on the performance of the team as well and Uttar Pradesh have lost three out of the five matches thus far in the Ranji Trophy, one of it was washed out and the other ended in a draw. So they do not really have anything worth showing on the points table. In the latest outing against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy round 6, he was dismissed for a duck while his team faces a mountainous task as the visitors posted 655 batting first.

Though his abilities as a batsman and even a fielder remain unquestioned Raina has to prove himself to earn back his spot in the team. Things otherwise seem to be drifting and will be beyond regainable ground sooner.

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