Rachin Ravindra destined for Greatness

It was a matter of time till we saw Rachin Ravindra score big runs for New Zealand in whites. With the technique, talent, and temperament he has got, he was bound to succeed. In the first ever opportunity he got in a while after his impressive test debut in India, the talented New Zealander scored a double century. He scored 240 runs in 366 balls consisting of 26 fours and 3 sixes.

His achievement surpasses the milestone set by Mathew Sinclair in 1999, adding another chapter to New Zealand’s cricketing legacy. Ravindra’s feat of converting his maiden century into a double century places him among the elite few in New Zealand cricket history, highlighting his remarkable skill and composure under pressure.

Ravindra started his innings slowly biding his time. The talented batter has already passed the eye test. He was watchful against the deliveries bowled wide of off stump but was severe when bowled full and on the pads. He showed his wide array of strokes playing glorious drives on the front foot, and backfoot drives with poise and grace, using his feet against spin blended with an occasional sweep here and there to disrupt the bowler’s lines. When a veteran like Kane Williamson acknowledges the brilliance of the youngster, it is surely a thing to be noted. Kane Williamson called him ‘unbelievable’ and ‘surreal’.

“After I got to my century, Kane come up to me and said, ‘mate, you’re unbelievable’. It’s so surreal. To be receiving that kind of special praise from one of the best batters in the world. It’s the coolest thing I’ve been a part of,” Ravindra said at the end of the first day’s play.

Seeing two batters navigate the game with such finesse was like watching a well-choreographed dance on the pitch. Both of them played with such skill and ease making the South African bowlers clueless. The youngster called it a ‘pinch-me’ moment to play alongside his idol Kane Williamson.
“Playing alongside Kane is always very special,” he said. “Sharing the crease with someone I idolise so much, life has come full circle for me. It’s a real ‘pinch-me’ moment. Seeing him go about his business as usual, with his calmness and timing, and the positions he gets himself into, it was pure batting bliss. As a lover of New Zealand cricket, seeing him still score Test hundreds is unbelievable”, Rachin added.

The impressive part of the innings was the maturity shown by the 24-year-old in just his 3rd test. He paced the innings beautifully. There was a slow and gradual progression to the innings. He never looked rushed against the fast bowlers and had ample of time to play. He was measured against the spinners and ruthless when trying to attack. He was ready to bide time and respect the bowlers. In today’s era where batsmen run out of patience and play flashy strokes when under pressure, watching players like Rachin Ravindra who backs his defence and has the ability to play long innings gives a sense of assurance to the longevity of typical test cricket batting.

The batter has already shown his technique against spinners in challenging Indian conditions. He has also excelled in the swinging conditions at home. Rachin has the great opportunity to seal the number 4 spot for New Zealand and be the torchbearer for New Zealand Cricket. Not to forget he is a quality left arm spinner. An allround option and batting at the challenging number 4 position is an absolute gold dust in any format. Rachin Ravindra is surely destined for greatness.

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