NEW DELHI: Suresh Raina had to wait for his chance to shine in the World Cup but made an immediate impression with a valuable knock against Australia in the quarterfinals. And his calculated cameo against Pakistan in the high-octane semifinal helped India enter the final which they won to be crowned the new world champions. TOI caught up with the southpaw who shared his World Cup experience in an interview. Excerpts:
How did you manage to keep yourself fighting fit when you were not a part of the playing XI for many games in the World Cup?
I knew beforehand that I might not be considered for the playing eleven. But I kept hitting the ball well in the nets. Gary (coach Kirsten) kept telling me that I would get my chance and I have to keep myself ready. He was also pushing me to do the extra bit during the training sessions, which always kept me in good shape. So, I was mentally ready all the time and it wasn't a problem when I played my first World Cup match against the West Indies.
How tough was the quarterfinal against Australia?
I knew I had to do well and the team needed me to do well. So, I was prepared for the occasion. But before I went into bat, Sachin Tendulkar reminded me how consistently I have batted in the past. To be honest, everyone in the dressing room was confident that I would bat through the match. If my team can back me like that, I had no reason to let them down. I had to put my best foot forward.
Who do you dedicate this World Cup victory to?
To my country, spectators, family, friends, well-wishers and to Sachin Tendulkar. We got amazing support from everyone in the country and it was overwhelming to see the way everyone celebrated Team India's victory. As far as Sachin is concerned, he deserved it from the team. We are extremely proud to play alongside a cricketer of his stature.
Your thoughts on Yuvraj Singh...
Like every member of the Indian team, we knew from the beginning that Yuvraj could do something special. I was not surprised by the way he batted. He is a matchwinner and he proved it every time he took the field. I learnt a lot from him, the way he batted and handled pressure situations.
Whom did you speak to first after the World Cup win?
My mom and dad and then my friends.
Indian fielding during the final match was something very special...
Well, we were playing the final and the occasion demanded we threw our body behind everything. We gave 200 per cent because we had to win. I enjoyed fielding alongside with Yuvraj and Virat and we were able to apply a lot of pressure on the Sri Lankan top order.
How did you celebrate the win?
We sat and had dinner together. The atmosphere was outstanding. We were tired still we decided to hang out together. This is the biggest moment of my life.
What is next for Team India?
From here on, we will have to play like champions.
Won't you want Kirsten to stay back?
We would love to keep him back. But he has a family and you need to respect it. Team India will always miss him after what he has done. I would also like to congratulate MS Dhoni for leading from the front. He backed every player and knew exactly what he was doing.
No comments:
Post a Comment