THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On a damp, deceptive pitch at the Greenfield Stadium, Ruturaj Gaikwad made a thunderous return to cricket, shattering the deafening silence of his 5-month injury-induced exile.The Maharashtra No.4 unfurled a chanceless 91, an innings of grit, grace and quiet defiance, as he walked into a crisis — his team reeling at 0/2 — and batted like a man on a mission. Without Gaikwad’s anchor, Maharashtra’s sails would have collapsed. When bad light stopped play on Day 1, the visitors meandered to 179/7 in 59 overs after being put into bat by Kerala. The early exchanges were electric. Kerala’s bowlers, licking their lips at the moisture on the surface, made the red ball dance to their tunes. Seam, swing, and menace — they threw it all at Gaikwad. But what they found was a batter in monk-like control. Soft hands, late movement, high elbows, Gaikwad’s technique was a masterclass in red-ball poise.This was no smash-and-grab knock. It was built brick by brick: a forward press here, a leave with conviction there, a cover drive caressed like a painter’s brushstroke. His bat sang in spurts, but his focus never wavered.At the other end, the ever-dependable Jalaj Saxena, who till a month back donned Kerala’s flannels, brought his usual stoicism, compiling a watchful 49. Their 122-run 6th-wicket partnership was a statement of intent, a counterpunch to Kerala’s early dominance, stitched together with steel and smarts.For Gaikwad, this wasn’t just a return to form — it was a return to purpose. Sidelined by an elbow injury in April while captaining the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, the 28-year-old missed key assignments — including the India A tour against the England Lions and a County stint with Yorkshire. Kerala fast bowler MD Nidheesh, who ran through Maharashtra’s top-order like a hot knife through butter, heaped praise on Gaikwad and Saxena. “They saw off the tricky period before lunch. In the second session, the pitch had lost its zip and batting became a lot easier. Credit to them for batting the way they did,” Nidheesh said.For Gaikwad, the time on the sidelines gave him time to rewire and work on his red-ball game.Though denied a century, his innings had the feel of one. As the light dimmed on the outfield, it felt like the start of something fresh. It was a second wind for a batter who knew that patience has its own form of power.One day in, and the Ranji season already has its first hero.Brief Scores: Maharashtra 179/7 in 59 overs (R Gaikwad 91, J Saxena 49; MD Nidheesh 4/42) vs Kerala.
