Ruturaj Gaikwad slams twin half-centuries in Ranji Trophy opener: Stats
What's the story
Star Team India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad enjoyed a couple of good outings for Maharashtra in the drawn Ranji Trophy opener against Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram. Gaikwad hammered half-centuries in both innings as the game ended in a draw. While he missed out on a ton on Day 1, Gaikwad made 55* in his second outing. Here we decode his performance.
1st innings
A knock of character in 1st innings
Maharashtra's top order fell like a pack of cards on Day 1 as their top-three batters bagged ducks. However, Gaikwad stepped up as his 151-ball 91, which was laced with 11 fours, helped his team post a respectable 239/10. Gaikwad's unbeaten 55 off 81 balls in the third innings saw him hammer three fours. The game ended in a draw.
Stats
3,000 FC runs loading for Gaikwad
Playing his 41st match, Gaikwad raced to 2,994 runs in First-Class cricket. He averages over 42 in red-ball cricket. The right-handed batter now has 16 half-centuries in the format. His tally also includes eight tons. While Gaikwad is yet to make his Test debut, he has featured in six ODIs and 23 T20Is for Team India. He also owns a T20I ton.