'There is nothing more he needs to prove...': Ravichandran Ashwin wants Ruturaj Gaikwad to be given long rope after maiden ODI ton vs South Africa

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes that the team management deserves to be given a long rope after he brought up his maiden ODI century against South Africa on Wednesday. The 28-year-old went on to play a phenomenal knock of 105 runs from 83 deliveries as the Men in Blue posted a humongous total of 359/8 on the board. Though they failed to get a positive result as the Proteas chased down the massive target, Ashwin was left thoroughly impressed with Gaikwad's performance in the match.

He remarked that the batter can become India's new No.4 batter in the one-day format and added that he doesn't need to prove anything to his doubters anymore. Gaikwad's knock against South Africa included 12 boundaries and two sixes and he even formed a mammoth 195-run stand with Virat Kohli, who also went on to reach his hundred later on.

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“Yes, Ruturaj is an opening batter. Some people argue he shouldn’t bat at No. 4. In the IPL, your best batters must be in the top three. But there are possibilities for Ruturaj at No. 4 in ODIs,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“He handles seamers well. He has a slight weakness against the moving ball, and he won’t need to face that much if he’s batting at No. 4. He is a terrific player of spin and runs hard between the wickets. He has all the shots in the book. There is nothing more he needs to prove to bat at No. 4," he added.

Ashwin wants Gaikwad to be given ample of chances

Ashwin further stated that even if Shreyas Iyer returns from his injury, Gaikwad can still be accomodated in India's playing XI and urged the selectors to provide the latter with the long rope in ODIs.

“Tomorrow, even if Shreyas Iyer returns, you can still accommodate Ruturaj Gaikwad. I don’t know exactly how, but I’ve thought of many innovative ideas. Do you push Ruturaj up the order? I’m not sure. For a player of such pedigree, he deserves a long run," Ashwin stated.

Series finale set to be held soon

Meanwhile, South Africa levelled up the three-match ODI series against India at 1-1 with their four-wicket victory in Raipur. It remains to be seen as to which one of the two will come out on top in the third match that will be held in Visakhapatnam on December 6.