Suresh Raina, who is one of the most promising players of India in the limited overs format, said on Wednesday that he did not get as many chances to prove his worth as a batsman in the Test cricket.
Since his debut against Sri Lanka in 2010 in Colombo, he has managed to feature in only 18 Test matches. In these matches, he has bagged 768 runs at an average of 26.48 and that also includes a single century and seven half-centuries.
"Ahead of the World Twenty20, I have plenty of opportunities to play in the longer version of the game, especially in the Ranji Trophy in October-November before we tour Australia in January for an away series. The domestic games will give me a platform to show my calibre and stake claim for a recall to the Test side. I am desperate for this. The Test series against South Africa in India will allow me to play at least four-five Ranji games for UP," Raina told Hindustan Times.
Raina last played in the Test match during the Australia series, where he got out for two ducks in both the innings and after that he was not taken in the squad for the one-off Test match in Bangladesh. The Indian middle-order attacking batsman felt disappointed with the fact that the selectors did not pick him for the longer format even after he has been doing well in the limited overs format consistently.
"I have been doing consistently well in one-dayers and T20s. Even in the IPL, I scored runs. It's true that I didn't do well in three innings in Test cricket in 2012. It was the same story in 2015, but that doesn't mean I am not experienced enough to be in the Test side," Raina added.
However, he promised to get into the practice mode ahead of the South Africa ODI and T20 series so that he can come up with good performances for his side. He will heading to the Netherlands for his training before that series.
"I tried to get a few games with county teams during the vacation, but they have already signed players. It's going to be a very important series for me. I have plans for each game. I am happy that the first match will be played at the Green Park in Kanpur, the best venue for me.
"The Proteas are a good side but we have a proven track record against them, including our showing in the World Cup. It will be an exciting series," Raina said.
