Ruturaj has every shot in the book, says Vengsarkar
MUMBAI: In his innings against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium last week, Ruturaj Gaikwad had got going with a flowing drive through the off-side off Pat Cummins’ first over. A ball later, like any other fast bowler, Cummins pulled his length back to test Gaikwad’s backfoot game. The batsman simply rocked on to the backfoot and pulled it for six.
Gaikwad had got out cheaply in his first three matches, but in the fourth game here, he had sent out a warning to the pace bowlers that he had both the front foot and backfoot game to take them on. He had the purists drooling over his eye-pleasing play—with that full stride forward and meeting the ball at the sweet spot to send it racing to the fence with a paint-brush touch. The first three failures have been followed with three innings of sublime grace—64 vs Knight Riders, 33 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore and 75 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad.
A product of the Varroc Vengsakar Cricket Academy, Gaikwad’s game was set up at their facility at Chinchwad, Pune. “His driving just stands out because of precise footwork and good head position,” said the former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar. “I don’t watch much of IPL, but I watch his innings and then switch off the TV. He has all the shots in the book and he played really well. He improvises well.”
Before he went on to play 116 Tests, Vengsarkar had first made his name in Indian cricket because of his ability to play spin. For him, Gaikwad’s game against spin is based on his nimble footwork. “He comes out against spinners and plays. When you step out and reach to the pitch of the ball that is the hallmark of good batsmanship,” said the former India chairman of selectors.
The next step Vengsarkar would like to see in the 24-yearold player’s growth as a batsman is to be able finish off games. “What I expect him to do is play a long innings till the last over. Now he gets out for 50-60, he should take it till the end. That is what he has to learn. I had taken him to England with the Academy team when he was 17-18, and what pleased me most was he was getting big hundreds, 150 plus in 40 over games. That is what he has to continue to do.”
CSK coach Stephen Fleming said they are really excited about Gaikwad. “One of the setbacks was having him down with Covid last year, which created a little bit of delay in introducing him in the right spot, but now he is there and establishing himself,” said Fleming.