Suresh Raina’s style encourages Moeen Ali to attack more

England all-rounder Moeen Ali said watching India’s Suresh Raina encouraged him to maintain an attacking approach to batting in one-day internationals, and Ajinkya Rahane credited the role of Ravi Shastri in helping his batting during the series.

England’s Moeen Ali says that he is patterning his style after that of India’s Suresh Raina. ‘He took a few risks and they came off,’ Ali says. ‘It’s something I go back to a lot and probably should dShow more

England all-rounder Moeen Ali said watching India’s Suresh Raina encouraged him to maintain an attacking approach to batting in one-day internationals.

Ali's 67, his team's first fifty of the series, was the lone highlight for England in their nine-wicket thrashing by world champions India in Birmingham on Tuesday.

After that defeat, England fell behind 3-0 in the one-day international series ahead of today's finale in Leeds.

The match marked Ali’s series debut and his first ODI in England.

But in his role as a squad member, he paid close attention to the way India batsman Raina made 100 in the tourists’ 133-run win in the second ODI in Cardiff, after the team had been struggling at 19 for two.

“Watching someone like Suresh Raina, they were in trouble and he came out and played the way he played,” Ali said yesterday.

“He took a few risks and they came off. He backed himself.

“I tried to copy it a little a bit. It’s something I go back to a lot and probably should do all the time.

“Take it to them. There is no point in being the same and getting out the same way all the time.

“I’d rather get caught on the boundary or stumped trying to do something, than try and knock it around all the time.”

Some pundits have tried to explain England’s poor one-day form – they have now lost five out of their last six ODI series – by citing the huge emphasis the English game puts on Test cricket.

But Ali, 27, did not hesitate when asked if the team cared about one-day cricket.

“Definitely,” he said. “It doesn’t even cross our minds [not to care].”

As for India, Ajinkya Rahane credited the role of Ravi Shastri in helping his batting during the series. The opener struck his first hundred in 50-overs cricket for India in the victory in Birmingham, striking 106 off 100 balls.

Rahane was frustrated by not converting good starts in his previous two innings into big scores. Shastri, the former Indian batsman who was brought in as team director following the 3-1 Test series loss, came to his aid.

“Ravi Shastri was very helpful,” Rahane said. “He just asked for a little extra focus between 40 and 50. ‘Once you cross 50, your instinct will take over’.

“My focus [in Cardiff] was to focus that bit harder once I crossed 40 – at least for those 10 next runs. After that, I backed my instinct.”

Rahane, who scored 41 in Cardiff and 45 in Nottingham, said he was determined to step up, not just for himself, but for his teammates.

“I was batting well in the first two ODIs, but got out,” he said.

“That hurt me a lot, because if you are batting so well in good conditions against this attack, if you get a big score, it is good for my confidence and team morale.

“It hurt the team chances, too, that I was not converting my starts.”

Rahane said that India will not be taking their foot of the gas, despite having wrapped up the series.

“We are really happy the way we played our cricket in the last three ODIs,” he said. “The approach will remain the same.”

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