Suresh Raina Urges Indian Test Batters to Enhance Skills Through First-Class Cricket

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has called for the country's Test batsmen to engage more in first-class cricket to enhance their ability to bat for longer durations. He reflects on the success of past legends and highlights the current struggles of the team against South Africa. Raina suggests a shift in practice approaches to address repeated mistakes and improve batting application. With India trailing in the series, he expresses hope for better performance in the future. Read on to discover more about Raina's insights and the current match situation.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 25, 2025, 18:22 IST

Importance of First-Class Cricket

Suresh Raina, a former cricketer for India, emphasized the necessity for the nation's Test batsmen to engage more in first-class cricket to develop their ability to bat for extended periods. He highlighted that legendary Indian players such as Laxman, Dravid, Tendulkar, Sehwag, and Gambhir achieved success by mastering the art of batting across multiple sessions. Currently, Team India is facing a challenging situation against South Africa in the second Test of the series taking place in Guwahati, trailing 0-1 in the two-match series and struggling with their batting performance, particularly against spin.

Need for More First-Class Matches

In a conversation with a news outlet, Raina stressed that Indian batsmen must participate in more first-class matches to refine their skills. He noted the lack of sufficient cricket played between the ODIs against Australia and the Tests against South Africa. "They need to play more first-class cricket. There wasn't much cricket between the South Africa Tests and the Australia ODIs. After the Australia series, they went directly to Calcutta. Batting for three sessions is crucial. We've seen greats like Laxman, Dravid, Tendulkar, Sehwag, and Gambhir excel in this manner," Raina remarked.

A Shift in Practice Approach Needed

Raina further mentioned that a change in practice methods is essential for India's batsmen, as they continue to repeat errors. He pointed out that after New Zealand, South Africa is now asserting dominance over India on their home turf. While acknowledging the skill of India's spinners, he insisted that the batting application must see improvement. "It's a tough time, but I believe things will get better. We need to practice differently because we're making consecutive mistakes. South Africa, having just won the World Test Championship, came prepared. Players like Simon Harmer and Aiden Markram are performing well. Our spinners are competent, but our batsmen need to apply themselves better," he added.

Current Match Situation

Following their 30-run defeat in the first Test against South Africa, India finds itself in a precarious position at 27-2, requiring an additional 522 runs to secure a win and level the series, a feat that appears increasingly unlikely.