Dale Steyn has commented on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting following the latter’s impressive fifty against South Africa. The right-handed batsman is currently a part of Team India’s squad for the ongoing five-match T20I series against the Proteas.

With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul not a part of the series, Gaikwad has got the opportunity to open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan. The series did not start on a good note for the Maharashtra star.

In the opening match, he scored 23 before being sent back by Wayne Parnell. He did look good during his brief stay as he hit three sixes but could not convert his start into a big score. His bat remained silent in the second game too as Kagiso Rabada dismissed him for just 1.

But in the third match, Gaikwad showed his immense potentials with a fine fifty. He slammed 57 runs off just 35 balls to help India post a competitive total of 179 for 5 and register a win in the must-win clash.

With Ruturaj Gaikwad once again showing his talent in T20Is, Dale Steyn has commented on his batting. The South Africa great compared Ruturaj with KL Rahul and said that he does not look like an aggressive player due to his batting style.

Steyn, however, was quick to state that batsmen like Ruturaj are dangerous as they have the potential to hit any ball for a boundary. Steyn stated that the India star is a type of batsman who has the potential to hit even the good balls for a four.

“He does not look like he is an aggressive player. He kind of looks very much in a similar vein in which KL Rahul bats. He’s standing very still, non-threatening. I loved bowling to batters like that. I always felt like these guys are not going to take me down. It was the guys that moved around and really showed that they are aggressive, that I was a little bit more fearful of,” Steyn told ESPNcricinfo.

“But then you bowl a half decent ball and it goes for four. Then you bowl your best ball and it goes for four. Then you bowl a bad ball and that also goes for a four. And now you’re under a lot of pressure. That’s the kind of player Gaikwad is. He does hit your good ball for fours too,” he added.

India keep the series alive:

Talking about the ongoing series, India have managed to keep it alive by winning the third game. It was a do-or-die clash for the hosts after they lost the first two games and they delivered in style.

After Gaikwad’s century propelled India to 179, the bowlers did a fine job to bowl out the high-flying visitors for a modest 131. Pacer Harshal Patel was the star with the ball, taking 4 for 25 while spinner Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 3 for 20. The win in the third T20I was India’s first win against South Africa this year.

The fourth match of the five-match series will take place on Friday (June 17). A win for South Africa will see them seal the series while a win for India will keep the series alive.