UP skipper Suresh Raina not happy with Piyush Chawla's dry run

Uttar Pradesh skipper Suresh Raina is certainly not a happy man when it comes to UP’s spin department. Piyush Chawla has gone wicketless in six of the ten innings he has bowled in, and that does not augur well for any bowler the skipper may want to fall back on. He has played all six Ranji Trophy matches for Uttar Pradesh with only six wickets to his name.

“Definitely he has to raise his bar, he has to work hard,” Raina said on the eve of their match against Punjab in Kanpur. “He is bowling well, but since he’s not getting wickets it seems like he’s not bowling well. Once you play for India and then for domestic, you have to work hard and your thinking is very important, how you respect the game, how disciplined you are in those things. He has worked really hard in the last two games that I have seen against Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.”

“If Piyush doesn’t do well in two matches, definitely the selectors have to think what to do,” Raina said. “Youngsters are doing very well for UP, so seniors have to step up their game and there’s pressure in the dressing room.

“He will have to step up. As a professional, when you do well in the IPL, you have to do it for UP – whether as a player of CSK, or of Air India team, or Indian team. I’ve learnt from my seniors that you have to give whatever you have. Cricket is one game in which you have to be disciplined, very committed and Piyush has that. He has the discipline and he concentrates a lot but he has to work hard on his bowling.” he added.

The berths are up for grabs, as chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav has taken 11 wickets in four matches while left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar has two five-fors in four innings to take his wickets tally to 14.

The Indian middle order batsman also boosted Chawla’s confidence and backed him to do well. “He has been a match-winning player for us. For so many years, he has done really well for UP. As a captain, as I’ve seen him play from Under-16s and Under-19s.

“I think it’s a matter of one or two wickets, he’s a momentum player. “He has always done well for UP or in the Challenger Trophy, or for India – like in the World Cup. Once he does well in one match, he will be on track.” Raina said.

Piyush Chawla will certainly look to add more wicket to his tally and regain the confidence of his skipper in the upcoming matches.