New Delhi: Ruturaj Gaikwad showed his fabulous talent in the IPL 2023 Season,He played some great knocks thoughout the whole tournament.
Now, Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran's exclusions from the Test team for India's tour of the Caribbean, as well as Ruturaj Gaikwad's selection, created concerns.
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There is a lot of interest in the Gaikwad development. Even the academy's founder Dilip Vengsarkar, where Gaikwad found success, is in wait-and-see mode. He is undoubtedly a person of enormous potential, but you won't know that until he actually plays, Vengsarkar told.
Gaikwad has proven what he is capable of in the IPL, therefore there is no need to doubt his potential. But for other players who haven't been able to translate their white-ball success into red-ball cricket, Test cricket continues to be a significant step forward. Many well-known players, like Michael Bevan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and Jos Buttler, have fallen short in Tests when put to the test against probing spells despite looking at ease against top-tier pacers in restricted overs.
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The selectors have taken a chance by choosing Gaikwad. They overlooked Sarfaraz Khan, a batsman who averages 79.64 in first-class cricket, in order to make room for him in the squad. He was chosen ahead of Easwaran, who achieved four consecutive century in first-class cricket at the opening of the year and has consistently performed well in A tours and the Ranji Trophy. Additionally, the selectors dropped a seasoned player like Cheteshwar Pujara, who has played in 102 Tests, in order to make room for Gaikwad.
The decision to select Gaikwad is a significant test of the selectors' conviction that, depending on the batsman's temperament, white ball success in the IPL can be reproduced in Tests. Beyond only Gaikwad's choice, the accomplishment of this philosophy has wider ramifications.
Selection is not always just about statistics. Selectors often take a chance on talent they believe has the potential to succeed. It is how MS Dhoni, despite being so unusual, entered the team. Although Gaikwad's batting is not unorthodox, in 28 first class games he hasn't produced a compelling argument to be included over his competitors. In first-class cricket, he only averages 42.19, which is neither poor nor exceptional. His inclusion in the Test team is due to the selectors' belief, formed after studying his IPL performances, that he can reproduce his temperament when facing top-tier pacers in the long format and can handle constant pressure.
Gaikwad has demonstrated that he is a player for the future since making his IPL debut in 2020, and when he was playing for Chennai Super Kings in 2021, he even won the Orange Cap. Yet, he has a formidable challenge because the way the selectors manage calls in the future may depend on it: A batsman who performs consistently in the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Irani Cup falls behind those who display good temperament against elite attacks in the IPL.
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“Red ball or white-ball doesn’t matter. It is all the same,” former chairman of selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar told when asked if there is merit in the call-up. “A good player will adjust to all formats. The thing we have to wait to see is how he performs in Test cricket. And I don’t understand this queue. Every player is in contention,” Vengsarkar added.
“The great thing about Ruturaj is he’s gaining a great understanding of his own game. He certainly has the skills. He certainly has the mental capability. He certainly has the understanding of his own game to have success at the next level. I have no doubt. If he can get that opportunity, he’ll show the world how good he is. I do love his game and the way he goes about it…he’s confident in the way he goes about it,” Hussey said.
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