Life in India for a young batsman is particularly tough. And while one knock, or a splendid series, can put you in the spotlight, it's a lot easier to lose it with a lean run. Ruturaj Gaikwad had spent the last two months wondering if he had done just that. Consistent domestic performances earned him a spot in the India A squad and his knocks routinely justified the selection. But it all started going pear-shaped when South Africa A toured India.
LEARNING ON THE GO
Pressure is a good thing for resurgent Ruturaj
For someone just 22, Gaikwad is well aware of the need to stay in contention and the massive dent missed opportunities can make © Cricbuzz
In the three List A games, he had scores of 10, 1 and 1. In the first four-day game, all he could manage was 30. A poor Vijay Hazare Trophy followed where he scored just 145 runs from six games at an average of just above 24. Before that, though, it had been surreal few months for Gaikwad. He continuously made people sit up and take notice as he first humbled Sri Lanka A and then weaved his magic in the Caribbean against West Indies A. In the eight one-day games, he scored 677 runs at an average of 112.83 and a strike rate of over 116. The scores - 187* (136), 125* (94), 84 (59), 74 (73), 3 (10), 85 (102), 20 (17), 99 (89). While he outscored Shubman Gill against Sri Lanka A, he was the second-highest run-getter against West Indies A behind Gill.
On Thursday (October 31), Gaikwad finally managed to put his lean run behind him. A 122-ball 113 helped India B get their Deodhar Trophy off to a
