Indian cricket team in action© AFP
Former Indian cricket team fast bowler Ashish Nehra was all praise for Ruturaj Gaikwad following his sensational century against Australia in third T20I encounter in Guwahati. Gaikwad looked in tremendous form against the Australian bowlers as he raced to a century with the help of 13 fours and seven sixes. It was the first-ever T20I century for the young batter and he maintained a strike rate above 200. In a recent interaction, Nehra said that Gaikwad’s game is extremely well suited for the T20 format but added that considering what he brings to the table, he is a ‘three format player’ for the Indian cricket team.
“Everybody knows what kind of a player he is (Ruturaj Gaikwad). When you talk about Yashasvi Jaiswal, his game is completely different compared to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s. You need solidity in the T20 format as well and that’s what Gaikwad brings to the table. There’s no doubt that Ruturaj Gaikwad is a three-format player for India,” Nehra told Jio Cinema.
“The kind of elegance that Ruturaj Gaikwad shows is unbelievable, amazing and it was a great, great, great knock,” Nehra added.
Glenn Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 104 as Australia pulled off a stunning chase of 223 in the third Twenty20 international against India on Tuesday to stay alive in the series with a five-wicket win.
The swashbuckling batsman struck his 100 in 47 balls and completed the win with a six and three fours from the final four balls of the 20th over in Guwahati before he flies back home.
It was Maxwell’s fourth T20 century as he joined Rohit Sharma with most tons in the format and the knock eclipsed a 123 by Ruturaj Gaikwad in India’s 222-3.
His 47-ball hundred was the joint fastest in the format for an Australian batsman alongside Aaron Finch and Josh Inglis.
Australia, who won the ODI World Cup after beating hosts India in the final earlier this month, still trail the five-match series 2-1 with the fourth T20 on Friday in Raipur.
Maxwell, in his 100th T20 international and his last of the series, struck eight fours and eight sixes and put on an unbeaten 91-run stand with skipper Matthew Wade, who hit 28.
(With AFP inputs)
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