Despite India picking up their first loss in the five-match T20I series against Australia, one batter was a class apart in the third T20I which took place in Guwahati on Tuesday. Ruturaj Gaikwad managed to stand out among the rest of the Indian batters with his stellar knock which allowed India to post a total of 222 on the board in the first innings.
Gaikwad managed to bat through the 20 overs as he managed to get his maiden T20I century in the third T20I. Despite starting off relatively cautiously, he managed to pick up the pace and take charge of the innings to finish off with a massive score of 123 off just 57 deliveries.
Former Indian fielding coach, R Sridhar with JioCinema had shared his thoughts regarding Gaikwad’s knock. The former coach was all praise for the innings. “A knock like this from Rutu was just around the corner. The way he anchored the innings in the previous game in Thiruvananthapuram, and here he played his role to perfection,” added Sridhar.
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The fielding coach also praised Gaikwad’s ability to accelerate through the innings after taking the cautious approach in his first 30 deliveries, scoring at a rate under a run a ball.
R Sridhar said, “Initially, he was batting on 27 off 33 balls and then accelerated just at the right time between the 11th and 15th overs. Towards the end, he marched towards a century and how.” The former coach also praised his classical shots as well during his century knock, “Those shots over extra cover, the pulls over midwicket, he showed his class. He never over-hit the ball even once during the innings.”
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The T20I series currently stands at 2-1, with the hosts India in the lead as they will look to seal the series with the fourth game taking place at Raipur on Friday. India will also be looking to make the best use of the upcoming T20I games as they look to prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup being jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America.
