India put on a dominant batting display in the second ODI against South Africa at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, with Ruturaj Gaikwad making headlines by creating a remarkable cricketing milestone.
Gaikwad, who usually opens the innings, came in at No. 4 due to Shreyas Iyer’s injury and delivered a spectacular knock of 105 runs off 83 balls. This century was not only his first in ODI cricket but also made him the first player ever to score an international century at the Raipur venue.
Before this match, the highest score at this stadium was 51 by Rohit Sharma against Australia. Raipur has hosted only three international matches so far — a T20I vs Australia, and ODIs vs New Zealand and South Africa.
Why Gaikwad Batted at No. 4
With Shreyas Iyer unavailable, India had a vacant No. 4 spot. Although players like Tilak Varma and Rishabh Pant were options, the team management entrusted the position to Gaikwad. Despite scoring just eight runs in the first ODI, he justified the decision with his composed and attacking century today.
His innings ended when he mistimed a shot off Marco Jansen, caught by Tony de Zorzi in the deep.
Virat Kohli Also Smashes a Century
Adding to India’s dominant performance, Virat Kohli scored 102 runs, bringing up his 53rd ODI century and second consecutive hundred in this series.
Gaikwad and Kohli built a crucial 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket, putting India in complete control of the match.
India now look strong to seal the series with a win and take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
