Ruturaj Gaikwad auditioned for a regular place in the Indian side with a fine show in Raipur on Wednesday. The CSK captain, batting at No.4 ahead of Rishabh Pant, repaid coach Gautam Gambhir's faith with a fine half-century batting alongside Virat Kohli. It was Gaikwad's second ODI half-century, coming in his 8th game in the format.
Gaikwad walked into bat with India in a spot of bother. The Men in Blue lost Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the powerplay with the CSK skipper joining Virat Kohli in the middle. After a few nervous deliveries to start off, Gaikwad settled into rhythm.
He rotated strike effectively and ran hard, while often plucking the boundary at regular interval. The 31-year-old ensured he did not add too much pressure on Virat and made up for his lost opportunity in the 1st ODI.
More to follow..
