On returning from a five-month injury layoff, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a clutch 91, to rescue Maharashtra from collapse on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy match against Kerala. Gaikwad took the total of Maharashtra to 179 for seven, a score reached in 59 overs before bad light stopped play at the Greenfield Stadium. Kerala’s pacer MD Nidheesh was the standout bowler, taking four wickets for 42 runs.
While Gaikwad displayed grit, his teammate Prithvi Shaw was dismissed for a four-ball duck, trapped lbw by Nidheesh. The bowler knocked at Shaw's technical flaw with acombination of outswing and inswing, a plan he later confirmed was premeditated. "It was a dismissal I had conceived when doing the home work for the game. And the plan worked out perfectly," Nidheesh said.
Walking in with his team in crisis at two wickets down for no runs, Gaikwad navigated the challenging, moisture-laden pitch with technique. As wickets tumbled around him and Maharashtra slumped to 18 for five, he remained composed, building the innings brick by brick. He found a reliable partner in former Kerala all-rounder Jalaj Saxena, 49, and the pair stitched together a 122-run partnership for the sixth wicket to pull their team back into the contest.
Kerala bowlers, who dominated the first session, acknowledged the quality of the partnership. "Our aim was to make him play at every delivery. We executed our plans but he and Jalaj really batted well," Nidheesh commented. He also noted that the pitch conditions changed after the first session, making batting easier. "In the second session, the pitch had lost its zip and batting became a lot easier. Credit to them for batting the way they did."
Despite falling nine runs short of a century, dismissed lbw by Eden Apple Tom, Gaikwad’s innings marked his return to red-ball cricket. The knock is a strong start to what could be a great season for the 28-year-old, who is looking to press his claim for a spot in the Indian Test team.
