Rachin Ravindra. Photo- AP
Rachin Ravindra. Photo- AP

Rachin Ravindra might be playing for New Zealand in the ongoing first Test against India in Bengaluru, but he is still considered a local boy. Ravindra’s parents hail from the city and only moved to New Zealand when Rachin was a toddler.

New Zealand has arrived in India for a three-Test series. The first Test’s day was rained off, while India won the toss and chose to bat first on day 2 when rain stopped.

The decision backfired spectacularly as India was shot out for 46 runs in 32 overs. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant reached double-figures with Pant scoring 20. For New Zealand, Matt Henry took 5/15, while Will O’Rourke took four wickets to give New Zealand a massive advantage.

New Zealand lost captain Tom Latham for 15 runs, but then it was a run fest for the visitors. Devon Conway made 91, while Will Young made 33 as Kiwis slowly, but surely plundered runs as the pitch got easy to bat on. Still, India had managed to reduce New Zealand to 233/7, but then Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee got together.

Rachin Ravindra becomes the second New Zealander to score a Test ton in India after 12 years

Tim Southee made 65 runs and added 137 with Ravindra for the 8th wicket. However, it was Ravindra, who shined brightly in his home of Bengaluru, scoring 134 with 13 fours and 4 sixes, scoring his second Test hundred.

Rachin Ravindra shared a crucial partnership with Tim Southee as the duo took New Zealand’s lead past 250.

Ross Taylor was the last batter to score a Test century in India, with a 113-run knock, and that Test was also played in Bengaluru. Rachin played some fantastic strokes against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. He appeared to have good control over his strokes and achieved the three-figure mark with a boundary before pulling off his helmet to enjoy the cheers.

After all, it was a special one because it occurred in front of his family and at a location where he had roots. He arrived at a point where he needed to drive his team ahead, and he went on to put them in complete control. He started with excellent footwork. He started with excellent footwork. He used the depth of the crease and muddled the majority of his shots to produce a superb century, becoming the 18th Kiwi to do so in India.

The New Zealand batsman has vivid memories of playing at the venue when he hit a blistering century against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023. Rachin Ravindra followed up his ODI century with a Test ton, ensuring that the opportunity was not wasted.

New Zealand’s first innings ended with 402 runs.

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