Australia v India, CB Series, 1st ODI, MCG

Raina hopes T20 win sparks revival

Sidharth Monga in Melbourne

February 4, 2012

Cricket +

	Raina: "They (youngsters) showed real character and responsibility yesterday. Every youngster is looking forward to the one-day series" © Getty Images Enlarge
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Suresh Raina believes that India's win in the second Twenty20, especially the fielding, has sent out a message that they are ready to turn the summer around.

"All the boys that have come as one-day specialists are young," Raina said on the eve of the opening match of the triangular series. "When the fielding is good, the intensity picks up, there is a positive vibe around, the whole atmosphere is different.

"That's what we saw yesterday. The fielding was very good, the throws were brilliant, everybody did well. The batting was also good. Gautam Gambhir saw us through. It's a good sign. Hopefully we will continue that."

Raina said different results could be expected of the team in the ODIs. "It is a different ball game," he said. "We have played really well as a unit. We bowled really well. When you take wickets with the new ball, it's always good for the bowling unit. Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar bowled really well. If you look at the bench strength, we have Irfan [Pathan], Zak [Zaheer Khan], Umesh [Yadav] ready to go. We have a good team right now."

Raina said it was crucial to get one win on the board. "It was important for us," he said. "The morale is very good. The atmosphere is very positive at the moment. They (youngsters) showed real character and responsibility yesterday. Every youngster is looking forward to the one-day series. We have Sachin [Tendulkar], we have Zak, and a lot of players who have been in the Test series. They have experience in these conditions."

Raina went on to emphasise the importance of good fielding, and how hard he, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have been working with Trevor Penney, the fielding coach. There is a healthy competition among the four even during the fielding drills. Raina will know, though, that only fielding doesn't win matches. He was dropped from the Test side after 15 games because the runs weren't coming consistently enough.

Raina said he had been working hard on his game to suit the bouncy surfaces. Before coming to Australia, he said he has worked at the NCA in Bangalore, in Mumbai with Praveen Amre, and has had sessions with wet balls and also on a hockey surface in Uttar Pradesh, his home state.

"I have been working on my wrist position so that I can keep the pull down," he said. "I am feeling confident at the moment, hitting the ball well, had six-seven good sessions here. This is an important tour with regards to comeback to the Test side."