Ruturaj Gaikwad regained his touch as the right-hand batter scored a stroke-filled 99 against a good SRH bowling unit. Gaikwad was playing on his home ground at the MCA stadium in Pune and he did not disappoint. Rutu’s parents were watching the maestro bat from the corporate box. They revealed their thoughts on their son’s phenomenal display.
“We were neither stunned nor disappointed when Ruturaj got out on 99. Cricket is a game of uncertainties. Anything can happen on the next ball. We know that very well,” his father Dashrath Gaikwad told The Indian Express Monday.
“We had seen an earlier match at the stadium but this was the first match we were watching from the corporate box. There was no pressure on us whatsoever. We just wanted to see him playing live rather than on TV, which we always do. But we had no high expectations. It’s a game, after all. Anything can happen anytime,” the father said.
Selectors should not waste any time in drafting Ruturaj into India’s Test side: Dilip Vengsarkar
Former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar is highly impressed by Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exceptional knock. He was excited to see the way Ruturaj handled Hyderabad’s pace ace Umran Malik who bowled a breathtaking spell in the previous game.
“In his earlier match, Umran had shattered the stumps of a few batters. But in this match, Ruturaj handled him upfront and with aplomb. The way Ruturaj played the speedster’s fast deliveries, especially the short ones, should make the selectors happy. Indian players, of late, have found the pace and bounce impossible to tackle. Ruturaj was confident personified against the short ones as he stood up and played with ease. I think the selectors should not waste any time in drafting Ruturaj into India’s Test side,” said Vengsarkar.
Gaikwad was having a torrid time in the ongoing season as he had just one fifty-plus score. However, the Maharashtrian regained his confidence and played a match-winning knock. Gaikwad also equaled the record for scoring the fastest 1,000 runs in the IPL. Vengsarkar called for Gaikwad’s immediate inclusion in the Test squad.
“The way he was playing right from the first ball, we were confident that he would score a century. That it didn’t happen only reflects the uncertainties of the game. But it is good that he was back in form. This IPL, his starts have not been but in the last three matches, he has regained his form,” he said and added that CSK’s victory mattered more than his century, a sentiment shared by Vengsarkar and the player himself.
“I am glad that it was a match-winning knock. Also important is the fact that he played proper cricketing shots. There was no awkwardness or desperate hittings or cross-batted heaves. Ruturaj plays with a straight bat. He has already proved his mettle in the shorter format of the game. I am confident he will be successful both in Tests and one-dayers. He looks suitable for the Test side,” Vengsarkar said.
Highlights:
• Gaikwad scored a match-winning 99 in front of his parents and the home crowd.
• Vengsarkar wants selectors to pick Gaikwad in the Indian test team.
