Raina believes he can score more runs higher up the order

India batsman Suresh Raina has announced that he would like to be promoted up the batting order in ODIs since it would give him an opportunity to score more runs and add to his 28 half-century tally.

Throughout his 159-ODI career, Raina has become accustomed to coming in at number five or six, but now he believes it is time for him to ascend up the ranks.

“Definitely, I would like to bat higher up the order,” he said. “If I am given a chance, I would like to give 100% as it will also give me an opportunity to play more overs. I have enjoyed batting at five, six, seven, where you need to bat till the finish.”

However, Yuvraj Singh is currently occupying the number four slot, while Virat Kohli has a firm grip on the number three spot.

But, during his short time as the number four batsman, Raina made a case for himself, especially after donning an average of 58.85 in just nine innings, which included four half-centuries and his personal best score of 116.

Raina is also hoping his outstanding performances in ODIs will help him regain a spot on the Test squad, where his average stands at a mere 28.44 in 17 Tests.

Raina was picked for India’s two-Test series against New Zealand in August last year, but after making scores of 3, 55 and 0, he was dropped and replaced by Singh.

“If you talk about my Test performance, I scored a fifty in one of my last three innings,” he said. “I believe that I can make a comeback in Tests.”