Suresh Raina had a memorable Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2010 in Colombo. The left-hander came on to bat and smashed 120 runs in the match. It was not enough to win the match for India but certainly helped the MS Dhoni-led side in drawing against an in-form Sri Lankan team.

But in a recent interaction, Suresh Raina revealed that he was not initially going to play in the aforementioned Test. He revealed that another left-handed southpaw Yuvraj Singh was unwell a day before the Test, which led to him being included in the team.

Suresh Raina Was Asked To Be Ready By Yuvraj Singh Who Had A Probable Stomach Bug The Night Earlier

Suresh Raina went on to score 120 runs in the first innings as India posted a staggering 707 runs on the board in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 648 runs. The match, however, ended in a draw after a stupendous display from the batsmen from both sides.

“Just before my Test debut, he (Yuvraj Singh) called me in the night around 12:30 or 1 clock at night. He said ‘Suresh, I am not able to sleep, I think I may have a stomach bug or something.

“You should be ready’. Generally, no one says like this, they usually think we will see how things go in the morning. He was so generous and kind to me to tell me that I should be ready,” Raina told sports presenter Gaurav Kapur on his ’22 Yarns with Gaurav Kapur’ podcast uploaded on Spotify.

Yuvraj Singh. (Photo by Marty Melville/Getty Images)

“I could not sleep the entire night – thinking I might make my debut the next day, how will I go about it. It has not been discussed in the team meeting. I am not prepared. I don’t even know if I will make debut or not,” he added.

“Luckily, we lost the toss and were asked to field. We had to field for full two days with Sangakkara and Jayawardene scoring big. Then, after drinking a few coconut waters, I went on to bat,” he further said.

Suresh Raina played 18 tests scoring 768 runs at an average of 26.5. His maiden test hundred went on to be his only century and alongside that, he scored 7 half-centuries. Suresh Raina announced his retirement from international cricket on 15th August 2020, a few moments after the legendary MS Dhoni announced his retirement.

Suresh Raina Congratulated By Yuvraj Singh After Scoring A Ton

Suresh Raina revealed he was lauded by Yuvraj Singh after scoring a ton on his Test debut.

“After I scored a hundred, Yuvi paa came up to me and he hugged me. ‘This is you, well done, I am so happy for you,’ he said to me. It was such a good environment at that time. Senior players, taking care of me, looking after me like a younger brother.

“Looking after you if there is a controversy, they would protect you from the media. They would look after you mentally and give you space where you can perform and express yourself,” Raina signed off.

Suresh Raina’s Test career never flourished as he played only 18 matches where he scored 768 runs at an average of 26.48. His journey in the longer format ended after he bagged a pair against Australia back in 2015 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

However, parking aside the disappointments, the southpaw had an impressive start to his Test sojourn back in 2010. Suresh Raina scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo. His 120-run knock was laced with 12 fours and two sixes before Ajantha Mendis dismissed him.