Suresh Raina’s family admitted they were delighted for the India batsman after his Man of the Match performance in the fourth ODI against England secured a hard-fought victory for the hosts.
After a disappointing Test series, India have responded emphatically in the shorter format and following a five-wicket victory in Mohali on Wednesday, took an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
And their latest win was inspired by a rampant Raina, whose unbeaten 89 saw India home. His impressive knock was not without controversy though. While on 41, Raina was caught in the slip by England skipper Alastair Cook only for umpire Steve Davis to signal a dead ball after bowler Steven Finn clipped the stumps with his knee.
Reflecting on Raina’s match-winning performance, his elder brother Dinesh, told Sport360: “We were sad and disappointed when Suresh’s catch was held by Cook when he was on 42.
“He was about to make his way towards the pavilion, but luckily the umpire declared him not out and we were extremely relieved.
“Our entire family saw the match and we were all delighted to see Suresh winning the Man of the Match award,” Dinesh added.
While Raina rightfully earned many of the plaudits on Mohali, opener Rohit Sharma got India’s innings off on the ideal footing with a 93-ball 830run knock.
And Dinesh Raina was quick to recognise the role of Sharma in India’s triumph.
He added: “India’s victory was a team effort and we can’t forget the contribution made by Rohit Sharma in this match.”
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