My endeavour is to get Raina back in Test team: Shastri

Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri, who is currently the national team director, today said it would be his endeavour to get left-handed batsman Suresh Raina back in the Test side.
Raina once again gave ample display of his talent by smashing a strokeful century in Chennai Super Kings' triumph in the final of the Champions League Twenty20 last Saturday.
"The more I see him play, he is brilliant to watch. It will be my endeavour really to do something that will get him back into the Indian Test match team. He is a class act. When is going he is a treat to watch," Shastri said at a media interaction at the Press Club here.

He added, "Even at times when I see him bat at the nets, when the ball hits the bat, just that sound or sense of timing you know it is something different. Let's hope, fingers crossed."
The Uttar Pradesh player last played a Test match in 2012 in a home series against New Zealand. He has featured in 17 Tests in comparison to the 196 ODIs and 44 international T20 games he has played.
Asked about players like Kuldeep Yadav coming into the side without much domestic experience, Shastri said, "When there is talent, when you have something different like with Kuldeep, something special and if the selectors believe that yes, this could be the guy, if nurtured properly, given the right guidance one year or two years down the line will be a match winner for me not just in India but in overseas conditions as well. I am prepared to take that gamble."

He also said that injured Mumbai player Rohit Sharma would bounce back and the team management will ensure that his talent doesn't go waste.

"He is a class act. It is unfortunate that he got injured and his inning was most crucial in India winning that one-day series because you were in trouble and he played beautifully. He showed great maturity in that series. I am sure
he will bounce bank. He has got too much talent and we will make sure that it will not be wasted," he said.
The former India captain backed the under-fire Indian coach Duncan Fletcher and said he has a lot of knowledge.

"Absolutely, he is brilliant. He is a seasoned campaigner. He has over 100 Test matches as a coach for various teams. The good thing is Fletch and me go a long way back. We know each other. I captained the U-25 team against Zimbabwe in 1984 when he was the captain of Zimbabwe. He has got a fabulous track record. It is how we use the knowledge that he has in the best possible way and communicate with the players," he said.