India v/s South Africa: Proteas are under pressure, says Suresh Raina

Certain grounds bring the best out of a sportsperson. The positive vibes that one gets while setting foot on the ground will give him a feeling that he will excel at that venue. Some players thrive on such vibrations.

Suresh Raina's two previous visits in India colours to the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala fetched him two half-centuries – 83 against England in January 2013 and 71 against the West Indies last October – the team results being mixed on these two occasions.

Gaining confidence from the match-winning 104 for India 'A' against Bangladesh 'A' in Bengaluru last week after failures in the previous two outings against the same opponent, the 28-year-old Uttar Pradesh all-rounder is all set to “go out there and perform, whatever the batting position and situation, and finish games for Team India.”

Raina batting at No.5 or 6 has given limited-overs captain MS Dhoni the freedom to bat higher up the order, at No. 4, as he did in the last two ODIs that India played in Bangladesh in June. Like all others in the current Indian set-up under Team Director Ravi Shastri, Raina is ready to play wherever the team wants him to. He has largely succeeded at Nos. 5 and 6 for India in limited-overs – batting in these two positions in 137 out of his 187 ODI innings and amassing 4,040 out of his 5,500 runs. In T20s, he has batting in these slots in 19 out of 38 visits to the crease though he has scored his lone century in the shortest format at No. 3.

Raina, who is in his 11th year in international cricket, will look to guide India to series victories in the three-game Twenty20 Internationals and the five-match ODI, the action beginning on October 2. 

Ahead of the Indian team's practice session in Dharamsala on Tuesday, Raina said he only looked at “winning games for Team India, which is my role” whatever the batting position.

Raina is well aware of the challenges that the South Africans pose as most of them have the experience of playing in India, courtesy IPL. He said: “The standard of the Indian team is very high. India has returned from a victorious (Test) series in Sri Lanka. After a long time, we had a week-long camp (in Bengaluru). So, everyone is improving on the areas that they are expected to excel in.

“Definitely there will be a challenge. South Africans are a good side. Like Ravibhai (Shastri) and Mahibhai (Dhoni) always say, 'you need to respect the opponents'. Our team is very good. We have played a lot of matches together in IPL, World Cup, etc. The strength of the two teams is to play calmly and aggressively. We have players who have always done well under pressure. They also have good players. This series will be challenging. We just need to go out there and enjoy ourselves. With the processes in place, and if kept good and simple, the result will be good.”

He went on: “The South Africans play very professional cricket. We have played enough with them in IPL and international cricket. When you wear the Indian jersey, you need to go and play for that flag. We have learn that from our seniors. When the toss happens, you just look to going out there and winning games. We all are excited to play for South Africa.”

Besides the Proteas, one thing that the Indians will be wary of is fielding under lights, what with the start scheduled at 7pm. Raina explained: “It is difficult to field under lights here. In the practice sessions, it was difficult as the ball wobbles a bit. The ball flies a lot after hitting the bat. When you are fielding in the boundary, you will not get that extra yard as the ball comes fast and you have to make (quick) adjustments. In T20, rarely do you have two successive dot balls. Batsmen aim to play big hits. The toss does make a difference. Having said that, the South Africans are under pressure. They know that the Indian dressing is an aggressive and a dangerous side. We will go and play normal cricket, and hope to do well.”