Rachin Ravindra, a talented New Zealand batter, thanked CSK Academy for his preparation before the Test series. He struck 134 and 39* as New Zealand defeated India in the first Test in Bengaluru on October 20, 2024.
India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss, chose to bat first, and saw the home side getting bundled out for 46 runs.
Matt Henry with 5/15 and Will O’Rourke with four wickets starred for Kiwis. India’s batsmen performed admirably in the second innings. Rohit Sharma (52), Yashasvi Jaiswal (35), Virat Kohli (70), Rishabh Pant (99), and Sarfaraz Khan (150) dominated with the bat. It appeared that India would be able to produce a significant total, establishing a realistic target for New Zealand to meet.
However, New Zealand pacers wreaked havoc with the new ball, bowling India out for 462 runs. Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke both took three wickets.
Chasing 107 runs on a rain-delayed final day, New Zealand lost Latham for a duck and Devon Conway for 17. However, Will Young (48 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) stitched together an unbeaten 75-run stand to guide the visitors to 110/2.
Rachin Ravindra was named Player of the Match and credited his preparation at the CSK Academy in Chennai before the Test series, for his performance.
“It’s a nice city, a nice wicket to bat on. So, yeah, the odds are in my favor. I guess it’s a combination of both (form and preparation). As long as I have clarity of what needs to be done and I know what my plan is it’s great. And also had the choice of being able to move forward and back, wasn’t trying to take the attack to them but taking care of my position which is important in this part of the world. Preparation does help. When you’ve got six Tests in a row you’re always looking to do something extra.
Luckily enough it all worked out today. I was trying to get a read of different surfaces, red roil and black soil, and seeing what sort of guard I could stand on for different kinds of bowlers. Nets every single day, net bowlers coming in, all that was an invaluable experience. Very grateful for those guys putting it on (facilities in Chennai),” Rachin Ravindra Latham said in a post-match presentation.
Rachin Ravindra happy with the support he gets in Bengaluru
In their first innings, New Zealand scored 402 in response to India’s 356. Rachin Ravindra’s brilliant century (134 from 157 balls, with 13 fours and four sixes) and Southee’s quickfire 65 (73 balls, eight fours, and four sixes) enabled New Zealand to recover from 233/7 to 402, due to a 137-run eighth-wicket stand.
Devon Conway (91 from 105 balls, 11 fours, and three sixes) also made an important contribution at the top.
“I wouldn’t say I am looking to attack but I’m hoping to get into good positions that allow me to score. It’s just hopefully the way I move allows me to score in different areas. It’s not about getting the boundary every time but also about rotating the strike and we speak about that in the team. It’s important for us and hopefully, that left-right combination frustrates them a little bit. I guess I’m a natural stroke-maker, even in white-ball cricket so it’s nice to bring that into the Test arena. Whenever I play in Bangalore it’s quite nice to have the support. My phone starts blowing up. The fans are great too, I love the support. It’s nice having dad and close family here, it always makes it special,” said Latham.
The second Test will be played in Pune from October 22 onwards.