Win Projections to be updated soon
After a phenomenal display of batting with his maiden T20I century, Ruturaj Gaikwad walked into the press conference with a calm demeanor, leaving observers uncertain of the match’s outcome. Gaikwad shared insights into the challenging conditions faced by India early in the game.
“Initially I thought it was a bit tacky, the ball was stopping a little, and there was some movement in the air and off the pitch. The first two-three overs, the wicket was like that, and we lost two wickets in one over. It was important to stitch a partnership but after 7-8 overs the wicket got better,” Gaikwad explained.
Gaikwad elaborated on his approach, highlighting the need to adapt to the pitch and build a partnership, especially with the aggressive Suryakumar Yadav yet to bat. He emphasized the importance of avoiding multiple wickets loss in the powerplay and communicated his plan to bat for a short span before accelerating the innings.
Despite posting an imposing total of 222/3, Gaikwad acknowledged the brilliance of Australian batter Glenn Maxwell, whose explosive innings became the turning point of the match. Maxwell’s joint-fastest century in T20Is, achieved in just 47 balls, played a pivotal role in Australia‘s stunning last-ball chase.
“I think Maxi batted really well, and to win from a situation where they needed 100 from seven, seven-and-a-half overs, and then 50 from three overs, it was a creditable innings from him,” Gaikwad praised Maxwell.
However, Gaikwad defended India’s death bowling, attributing the challenges to gripping a wet ball due to the substantial dew on the outfield. He compared the difficulties faced by Indian bowlers with those experienced by the Australian bowlers in previous games.
“Our bowlers tried executing what they had in their control, and the dew was making the ball slip, so it was tough for the bowlers as well. Even though we scored 230 in the last game, in between we felt the match will go till the last over, so with this kind of dew, these totals are bound to happen and bound to be chased,” Gaikwad explained.
Gaikwad reassured that death bowling is not a concern, asserting that in such conditions, even 12-14 runs an over are gettable. He highlighted India’s ability to chase challenging totals in similar conditions in previous matches, recognizing the toughness for the opposition in dealing with these circumstances.
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