India will take on South Africa in the first T20 of the three-match series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala on Friday.
Ahead of the first T20 match, India skipper MS Dhoni has said Suresh Raina is not a finisher and can fit into any batting position in this Indian lineup. Dhoni also added that Raina can be equally good when he bats at No. 3.
"Raina is not a finisher. I don't know whether it's something good or bad that we play more IPL than T20 internationals, but if you notice carefully, he is somebody who has batted at No 3 throughout. We promoted him in 2010 during the World Cup in West Indies and he did well. But again, we have to place them strategically so that in serves the best interest of the team," Dhoni said at a press conference ahead of the first encounter with South Africa on Friday.
However, Dhoni was reluctant to reveal the batting order, when reporters asked him about pushing himself up.
"I would love to. We have to see the side composition, who is best suited to bat at what position," Dhoni asserted.
"Most of our players are top-order batsmen, but when it comes to T20, they all bat at different positions. For example, Rohit opens the innings and Ajinkya Rahane is someone who bats middle order in ODIs and Tests but opens in IPL. So we have to see which individual is best at what position and based on that I'll take the call."
When it comes to selecting the best playing XI, Dhoni is at his sublime best. But he has a plethora of options ahead of him and he will have to be even more wiser while choosing his team for Friday's first T20 against South Africa in Dharamshala.
"We have four spinners, three proper seam bowlers and a seaming all-rounder. So it gives you the luxury of going in with the right combination, depending on the scenario. Also, you have to see the strength of the team. If we go with two spinners, one of them has to be a better batsman. We don't have a seaming all-rounder, so that is another factors we have to keep in mind," Dhoni said.
