What one awkward innings can do to an opening race

Ruturaj Gaikwad's scratchy half-century in the third ODI against West Indies ended in defeat, and his claim to India's opening slot seemed to shrink with it. Yet in men's ODIs over the past two years, his batting average is 71.33 across five innings, against 32.98 for top-seven batters. His manner at the crease warrants scrutiny when an opening place is at stake. The innings that brought him to this one deserve the same attention.

The defeat sticks

Gaikwad made 57 from 69 balls, an innings that looked chancy while he was playing it and looks worse beside a loss. West Indies won by five wickets. That result makes it tempting to read the chase backwards and hold his hesitations responsible for it. He left India with runs on the board, even if the innings was hardly the cleanest argument for keeping an opening place. One contribution cannot carry the whole weight of a defeat.

The pace of his runs

Gaikwad had been unbeaten in the first two ODIs, both India wins by eight wickets. Those innings were easier to overlook once the successful chases were complete; the defeat has given his next innings a far longer afterlife. Before the West Indies series, he made 105 from 83 balls against South Africa. That innings belongs in any judgement of whether he can move an ODI innings along. His strike rate over the same two-year stretch is 96.4, against 85 for top-seven batters in men's ODIs. The awkward half-century sits within a quicker run of scoring.

Keep the race open

India reached 351/7 in the third ODI, a total that makes the loss feel like a demand for more from every batter. Our ratings give India a 72% chance of beating an average side in ODIs, while the comfortable wins over West Indies showed how quietly Gaikwad's earlier contributions could pass. A strong side can afford to ask its opening candidates hard questions over successive innings. Gaikwad should be asked for a cleaner innings next time, with his recent scoring pace still in view. This defeat has not made the case for pushing him behind another contender.