I looked to play straight, expresses http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SK-Raina-c2539 – Cricket News Update
Having chased down a hefty total in the third One Day International (ODI) against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/G-Gambhir-c1447, who he feels, played out of his skin to lay the platform for victory.
After winning the toss, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DPMD-Jayawardene-c1397, the Sri Lankan captain, opted to bat first on a flat track. The home team posted a mammoth score of 286 runs on the board for the loss of merely five wickets, although they were in trouble initially, losing three
cheap wickets within the first six overs.
Despite the fall of Virender Sehwag’s wicket very early in the innings, the visitors were off to a brilliant start through Gambhir and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/V-Kohli-c2737, who scored 105 runs for the second-wicket partnership.
Gambhir, who blasted a magnificent hundred, fell in the 39th over to leave his team in tatters. However, Raina, along with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Irfan-Pathan-c1601, constructed a superb partnership to snatch victory from Sri Lanka’s jaws in the last over of the innings.
Raina was named as the Player of the Match for his 65 runs, which came off just 45 balls, in which he struck six boundaries and a massive six over long-on off http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SL-Malinga-c2540.
The middle-order batsman, apart from praising Gambhir’s brilliant ton, expressed during the presentation ceremony that he did not look to play rash strokes and concentrated on playing the ball straight, although the required run-rate was increasing all the
time.
"I learnt over the years, how to bat when you need 8 an over, Gautam played very well early on, set the platform. I looked to play straight, not to play cross, I knew I could hit over cover, over midwicket, I also wanted to run hard,” Raina said. “Credit
goes to Gautam, he batted very well."
The Indian captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 was in trouble at one stage.
"We had a chance, because Gautam was still batting, and we all had belief in Raina, we also had http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Irfan-c64444 and Ashwin. I think those two wickets changed the game, Gautam did really well," said Dhoni.
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