Before the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, former India all-rounder Suresh Raina recounted the ‘masterstroke’ that the MS Dhoni-led side pulled off in England during its title-winning campaign. History will remember India’s Champions Trophy win of 2013 as the national team went on to perform a clean sweep in the entire tournament. During a special episode of JioHotstar’s ‘The Suresh Raina Experience: Champions Trophy Special,’ Raina reminisced about India’s first match at the tournament against South Africa marking the meteoric rise of the opening duo, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.
He said deciding to stick to the Rohit-Dhawan opening pair was a masterstroke since it paid dividends not just in that tournament but also afterward.
“It was a masterstroke by the team management. Look at the way they batted. They were immaculate with their timing of shots rather than mercilessly forcing shots. They attacked but attacked selectively. Rohit Sharma is technically very sound. He made sure to bat long enough before accelerating the scoring rate. Followed then by Shikhar Dhawan coming in and taking on the bowlers. A left-right combination always troubles bowlers, and Shikhar was aggressive in a different way. Rohit could clear the ropes whenever he wanted,” said Raina.
“Their run rate was always around 8 or 9. They cleared the ropes with consummate ease. A 100-run partnership went up to 150 in no time. One of them was always looking to make a hundred. Their understanding was excellent: they backed each other in calls and spent a lot of time together,” he added.
Though Dhawan had cemented his place as India’s opener, he had numerous partners in 2012. In 2013, Rohit Sharma, who really missed the boat during the 2011 ICC World Cup victory, had finally secured the spot. Raina described precisely how Rohit made it back into the team and, for several years after that, locked in that position.
“How well he presented himself — it was outstanding. Rohit has really practiced hard to improve his batting with long discussions with (Fletcher) and developed big together-friendship with (Dhoni). Great tournaments make big players, with something big riding on it, such as a big trophy. He did not play the 2011 World Cup, and at the end of 2013, he was in that position opening-the-last…and he is still there,” said the former batter.
Dhawan made 114 runs off 94 balls, while Sharma scored 65 off 81 deliveries. Together, they shared a partnership of 127 runs, which lasted a little over 20 overs. Raina recounted the six overs he bowled, with certain successes in curbing South Africa’s batting effort after the Indian fast bowlers struggled on a dry wicket.
“The wicket was very dry, so everyone had to adjust their fielding and bowling. Having a sixth bowling option — whether it was Virat, Rohit, or Suresh Raina — really comforted the captain. MS had lost his options by that time; there was no backup. As captain, it’s always good to have options during those tricky four-to-five-over periods. MS knew that if a left-handed batsman came in, he would throw in my bowling chances to get a wicket or break the opposition’s rhythm. We were fortunate that we had so many who could bowl those four or six over. You saw that even in the 2011 squad, and in 2013 it was me, Virat, and Rohit who came on board when we needed a wicket,” he added.
Raina also spoke about his mental approach during the process of executing his bowling plans and said: “I had an understanding of the angles of my bowling, kept it straight at the stumps, and didn’t give it too much pace. I knew that if I bowled three good overs, I would earn the fourth. I just kept my cool and didn’t bother. My role was to do well in the field, but the captain left it to me to do within my ability to bowl.”
India will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.
