India’s middle-order batsman Suresh Raina has said India are not taking Bangladesh lightly ahead of the quarter final clash of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.
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“We are not taking Bangladesh lightly. Tomorrow is a big day for us. This is the quarterfinals and we have to win. One mistake and you can lose,” Raina said at the pre-match press conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Raina said India are keen to carry their good form to the knockout stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and be disciplined in all three departments of the game.
“All we need to do now is be disciplined in all departments of the game, be positive and look to enjoy each and every ball from here on. I’m very excited to play the quarterfinals against Bangladesh.” Raina said.
When asked about the forgettable encounter against Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup, Raina said India are not thinking about such facts and they would look to be positive and enjoy the game.
“Bangladesh have done well against us. We lost against them in 2007 and they have had success against us in Asia Cup as well. But we are not thinking about such facts. We are looking at what we have to do tomorrow and what we have done in our league matches,” said Raina.
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When asked about his own form and the pressure batting at the crucial No. 5 position, Raina said he has improved as a player and learnt a lot from his captain MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif.
“I have improved as a player. I have learnt a lot from M.S. Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. They all played in the crucial middle order and I played a lot of matches with them. I now have an idea of the sort of batting I need to do in ODIs,” said Raina.
“I’ve become more mature after 2011, having played all big tournaments and crucial games. As a team as well we have come a long way and the credit goes to the support staff for bringing out the best from us,” Raina added.
