IND vs SA 2nd ODI: You dream of moments like these, says centurion Gaikwad on big stand with Kohli

Opportunities don’t present themselves every day. But when they do, you have to be ready to seize them with both hands and make them count. India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad did precisely that. Given the chance to bat at No. 4, he scored his maiden ODI century — a knock that ultimately went in vain as South Africa chased down a record 359-run target.

Speaking to the media after the match, Ruturaj opened up about his innings, the challenge of adapting to a middle-order role, his partnership with Virat Kohli, and juggling responsibilities across formats.

“I was told I’d be batting at No. 4 for this series. Honestly, it’s a privilege to have that kind of confidence from the management — trusting an opener to bat in the middle order.

“Even when I opened, my focus was to bat deep, till around the 45th over, and then capitalise. So, I’ve always had an idea of how to rotate the strike. It was just about getting through the first 10–15 balls.

“I’ve been working very hard, and I wanted to make sure that whenever I got set, I converted it into a big one,” Ruturaj said.

On sharing the crease with Kohli, the 28-year-old added, “I’ve been watching him in practice over the last week, and it’s unbelievable — the amount of time he seems to have. You dream of moments like these.

“Even during our partnership, the conversations were simple: look for 5–10 runs an over, find the gaps, rotate strike and take boundaries when possible. I really enjoyed that partnership.”

When asked, on a lighter note, how it felt to play simply as a batter without the added responsibility of captaincy — and whether he missed being the boss — Ruturaj smiled and replied, “You all know who the real boss is.”