Gaikwad scored 105 off 83 balls in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur.
After smashing his maiden ODI century in the second match against South Africa in Raipur, India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad said he felt “quite confident” about adapting to the No. 4 role, which he had never played in the 50-over format.
Gaikwad, who had batted 86 times in List A cricket before this series but never below No. 3, scored 8 off 14 balls in the first ODI in Ranchi before hitting 105 off 83 balls at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
His knock, which he said was his best across formats and levels, was studded with 12 fours and two sixes, at a strike-rate of 126.51. He reached his fifty off 52 balls, before accelerating in superb fashion to notch up his first ODI century in just 77 deliveries.
"The team management told me that I would be batting at No. 4 this series. I feel it's a privilege to have that kind of confidence from the management towards an opener. So I took it that way," Gaikwad said in the post-match presser.
"In the one-day format, even when I was opening the innings, I always tried to make sure that whenever I was set, I was able to bat till the 45th over and capitalise after that. So I knew somewhat how to play between overs 11 to 40, how to rotate strike, what the boundary options were. So I was pretty much confident about how I could go through the innings.
"It was just a matter of how I could play my first 10-15 balls, and after that, the process remains the same. I have been working really hard, and obviously been in good touch as well. So I wanted to make sure that whenever I am set, I make it a big one," he added.
Gaikwad was involved in a huge 195-run third-wicket stand with batting stalwart Virat Kohli, who scored his 53rd ODI century and second consecutive in the ongoing series against South Africa.
Reflecting on his partnership with Kohli, Gaikwad said: "I have been able to witness him since last one week now. Whatever practice sessions we have had, he is batting unbelievably well… the amount of time he has and how he is able to convert it in the match as well. And even this game, I enjoyed a lot. Mostly, I was trying to be in my zone and not really think about how he is batting or how he is able to score runs."
He continued, "The chat in between was very clear. We had set 5-5, 10-10-run target and discussed how to manoeuvre the gaps or how to hit those boundaries, how we can rotate strike.
"So the chat was around that. I think we had really good running between the wickets as well. Obviously, you dream of these kinds of moments and to be able to have that kind of partnership, I really enjoyed a lot."
Before this series, Gaikwad’s last ODI appearance for India was in 2023. Since then, he has fallen behind the pecking order as opener, with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal being his competitors.
Talking about the competition, Gaikwad said: "I think all these things are better if you don't think too much [about them]. Because [if you do so], you are not in the present, and whatever matches are in front of you, you don't have that much focus and preparation for them.
"In the last Vijay Hazare Trophy, I couldn't make that many runs [194 in seven innings]. Obviously, some things were going on in my mind. But after that, I thought whichever match it is, whether a club game, red-ball format, or white-ball format, I will make sure I try to stay consistent. I realised that my duty is to score runs as much as possible. And if I get an opportunity, well and good. Even if I don't, it's still fine," he remarked.
But Gaikwad and Kohli’s centuries went in vain as South Africa rode on Aiden Markram’s ton (110 off 98) and crucial contributions from Matthew Breetzke (68 off 64), Dewald Brevis (54 off 34) and Corbin Bosch (29* off 15) to overhaul the target with four wickets as many deliveries to spare, leveling the series 1-1.
The series-deciding third ODI will take place in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (December 6).