Suresh Raina’s coach Dipak Sharma said that inconsistency might have cost him a place in the Test squad, Sharma feels that Raina would soon overcome the "hurdle" and return with a bang, says a report in The Indian Express.
"Raina is definitely a very talented cricketer but inconsistency in his performance is the major hurdle in his progress," said Sharma.
"This could be the main reason as to why he has not been able to win over the trust of national selectors... he needs to score big in the Ranji Trophy matches," he added.
Sharma said that there is no problem with Raina’s technique, “It is not because of any problem with his technique he rather requires an appropriate plan. In the present times it is essential for a cricketer to mould himself according to the changing formats of the game, be it Test, ODI or T20 and therefore performing consistently becomes a major challenge," he said.
Meanwhile, The Times of India reports that Suresh Raina was so hurt after learning about his ouster from the Test squad, that he decided to skip lunch on the final day of his team's Ranji Trophy game.
"He was very sad and told his teammates that he is not in a mood to eat. He is a very bubbly character in the dressing room and suddenly went very quiet. He also didn't stay back to collect the mementos presented by the Ghaziabad District Cricket Association and left immediately after UP had won," TOI quoted a source from the UP dressing room.
Venkatesh Prasad who is his state team coach also seemed uoset with the decision. "I think it's really unfortunate that Suresh Raina is not there in the Indian team. I think if someone is given a chance at the Test level, he should be given a long rope to prove himself. Also he is a terrific player and had scored a fine half-century against New Zealand.”