The curious case of Suresh Raina

One of the most eligible bachelor of the India team and the so called buddy of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina’s running skills got exposed last night at the first ODI against SA.  Though its not just about his running skills that I am talking about its also about the scorecard highlighted on the TV sets while he was on his way back to the pavilion.

With an average of about 35 and 3 centuries in the ODIs Raina is termed as the backbone of the middle order. With statistics like these do you really think that he even deserves to be in the team? Raina has been playing for the team since 2005. When Greg Chappell was asked to handle the reins of the Indian team as a coach, Chappell was extremely impressed by his batting and the fielding skills. He went on to be the blue eyed boy of the coach. Off the 116 ODIs, in the last 7 years, the blue eyed boy of the skipper has hit only 29 fifties, though we also consider the position he comes on. Also does he have an average of 91.38, but all that is on the Indian pitches.  On the foreign pitches he looks like a dodo who fails to even face the bowlers (he he did well for CSK at the Champions League). How long will the blue eyed boy of the skipper continue to be the first choice of the selectors? Will he always remain in the squad just because he happens to the favourite of someone or the other?