"Red ball or white ball doesn’t matter"- Former Indian chief selector on Ruturaj Gaikwad's Test call-up

There has been a lot of talk about the inclusion of Maharashtra and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad into India's Test squad for the tour of West Indies next month. Many feel IPL has been an influencing factor for the selectors to pick Gaikwad ahead of a seasoned domestic performer like Sarfaraz Khan.

However, former Indian selector Dilip Vegsarkar doesn't agree with the notion as he feels the players who are good enough can make adjustments across formats. He also feels that players are equally in contention and that IPL performance doesn't get preference.

Here's what Dilip Vengsarkar told The Indian Express about Ruturaj Gaikwad:

"He is definitely someone with a great potential, but you will only know when he plays. Red ball or white ball doesn’t matter. It is all the same. A good player will adjust to all formats. The thing we have to wait to see is how he performs in Test cricket. And I don’t understand this queue. Every player is in contention."

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Ruturaj Gaikwad is good enough for international level: Michael Hussey

CSK's batting coach Michael Hussey has spent enough time with Ruturaj Gaikwad in the nets to understand his game and the former Australian cricketer feels the opener is ready for international cricket.

While Hussey understands that Gaikwad may take a bit of time to get used to the highest level, he has no doubt that the right-hander will be a success for India. On this, Hussey stated:

“There is no doubt in my mind that Ruturaj can play at the international level. He’s definitely good enough to be there and I would love to see and get a good run. International cricket is tough. He’s probably going to take a little bit of time just to find his feet at that level. But I have no doubt in my mind that he can be a success at that level."

Gaikwad may be one of the front-runners to replace Cheteshwar Pujara at the No.3 spot in West Indies Tests.

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