Ex-Gujarat batter Priyank Panchal called Ruturaj Gaikwad's inclusion in India's XI for the first ODI against South Africa a "makeshift compensation" for not including him in the red-ball setup. "He's great against spinners, which helps, of course, but a player like him should be a guaranteed starter...not a fallback option," he added. Ruturaj batted at number four in the match.