Despite India trailing 1-2 in the ongoing Test series against England, former cricketer Suresh Raina has backed the team to pull off a sensational comeback. The veteran believes that the Shubman Gill-led side has shown enough grit and character to turn things around in the final two Tests. India lost the third Test at Lord’s by just 22 runs, falling short while chasing 193 despite a fight from the lower order. Despite momentum being on the hosts’ side, Raina remains optimistic. “They will do it. They have that sense of desire, perseverance and determination,” Raina told ANI. “Gill will make his mark, as a batter and as a captain. I think he has done really well.” Gill has led by example so far, scoring 607 runs in six innings at a staggering average of 101.16. The 25-year-old has already hit three centuries, with a top score of 269. He’s found strong support from Rishabh Pant (425 runs), KL Rahul (375 runs), Ravindra Jadeja (327 runs), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (233 runs).
“India won, then India lost, then won, then lost (talking about sessions during the Test series). But Shubman Gill as a player, has done well. He has scored runs. Washington Sundar has done well,” Raina added. “Then we saw how KL Rahul batted, offered some solidity as an opener and got good support from Yashasvi Jaiswal. Then Rishabh Pant, he has batted so differently and his wicketkeeping has been great.”
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The crucial 4th Test begins on July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester. Raina is currently part of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) season two. The India vs Pakistan fixture in the tournament was recently called off by organisers, who issued an apology citing discomfort caused to Indian legends and fans. Shikhar Dhawan had earlier made it clear he would not play Pakistan, citing geopolitical reasons. Raina too, sided with the decision to not play against Pakistan, retweeting a post by WCL sponsors EaseMyTrip.com reiterating why they will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan.
