"Rohit can leave for good now" - Fans erupt as Ruturaj Gaikwad hits a fluent 71 in IND vs AUS 1st ODI
Team India opener Ruturaj Gaikwad hit his maiden ODI half-century in the first ODI against Australia on Friday, September 22, in Mohali. It was also the first time he opened the innings in an ODI match.
After being asked to bat first in the contest, Australia scored 276 in 50 overs. Veteran opener David Warner (52) top-scored for them with a half-century, while a couple of others contributed with handy knocks.
Shubman Gill then gave India a brisk start with a flurry of stylish strokes for boundaries on both sides of the ground. Gaikwad (71) played second fiddle to him but held his own with some beautiful shots. He negated the new ball threat and also rotated the strike well to provide stability at the top order in the absence of Rohit Sharma.
Gaikwad also did not let go of scoring chances as he kept hitting boundaries whenever the opportunities presented. He completed his maiden half-century in the 18th over with a brace. The 26-year-old tried to up the ante later with twin fours at the end of the over.
His 77-ball knock ended in the 22nd over when Adam Zampa dismissed him via LBW. Fans took note of his knock against Australia and took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their views. Here are some of them:
He can be the future captain of India: Kiran More about Ruturaj Gaikwad
Former Indian wicket-keeper Kiran More put his weight behind Ruturaj Gaikwad and opined that he has the potential to become Team India captain in the future. He believes that Gaikwad is an all-format player as his technique is tight.
More also felt that playing with MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier League might have benefitted Gaikwad and helped his overall development as a cricketer. During a recent discussion on Jio Cinema, More said:
"Ruturaj can play all formats, his basics are so correct. He can be the future captain of India as well, he has got a great temperament. He's playing under MS Dhoni, so he must have learnt things about handling the team and handling the situations. He's a quality player, and I'm waiting for him to make his Test debut."
Do you agree with Kiran More's views? Let us know in the comments section.