Unluckiest centurion? Gaikwad's maiden ODI century comes in highest chase against India - again

Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed his maiden century in second ODI against South Africa on the ongoing three-match series on Wednesday (Dec 3) in Raipur but alas, India lost the match by four wickets. Gaikwad, batting at number four, scored 105 off 83 balls and his 195-run partnership for the third wicket with Virat Kohli ensured India posted a huge total of 358/5 in 50 overs. This was Gaikwad's first century in the format and India saw joint-highest chase against them. The same had happened when Gaikwad had scored his maiden T20I century for India.

Is Gaikwad unluckiest centurion for India?

The 359 chased by South Africa is the joint-highest against India in ODIs along with Australia's effort in 2019 Mohali ODI. In T20Is too, the highest chase against India, of 225 runs, came in the match when Gaikwad scored his maiden T20I ton. The match had taken place in Guwahati on November 28, 2023. India had posted 222/3, thanks to Gaikwad's unbeaten 123 but India lost the match by five wickets after Aussie Glenn Maxwell scored 104 not out off just 48 balls.

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Gaikwad's long wait for ODI century

The batter had already scored 17 List A hundreds before scoring one in an One-day International. This is the highest number of List A centuries a batter has scored before the maiden ODI ton. The record previously was with Aussie great Matthew Hayden who had scored 16 List A hundreds before his maiden ODI ton.

Gaikwad, who usually bats at top of the order, came to bat at number 4 in Raipur and said he was confident of doing it. "I feel it's a privilege to have that kind of confidence from the management towards an opener. So I took it that way," said the IPL franchise CSK skipper.