Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Rachin Ravindra was again the standout batter for New Zealand in Pune scoring a fluent 65 off 105 deliveries giving his side a solid start on a wicket which was assisting the Indian spinners from the first hour of play itself. Ravindra looked assured against the pacers and was also confident of using his feet against the spin trio of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, often getting the better of them. Ravindra scored 39 runs off 74 deliveries against the slower bowlers.
In contrast, the likes of Daryl Mitchell and Will Young struggled against the Indian spinners scoring just 35 runs off a combined 97 deliveries, often getting beaten and with a high false shot percentage. Ravindra’s play against spin is one of the major reasons for his success in Tests and ODI cricket – as was also evident in Bengaluru and the World Cup in India in 2024.
RG traces back the journey of Rachin Ravindra.
A star is born in Kanpur
New Zealand needed to bat out a little over a day to save the series opener in Kanpur in 2021. They were in doldrums at 128 for 6 in the 70th over when Ravindra joined Tom Blundell at the crease. The famed Indian spin trio of Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel were on top. Ravindra showcased great grit, determination and fight and kept the Indian spinners at bay, batting with the tail to save the Test for New Zealand. He remained undefeated on 18 but more crucially, faced as many as 91 deliveries. New Zealand played out 98 overs and scraped through for a draw, scoring 165 for the loss of nine wickets.
The innings showcased Ravindra’s temperament and was a big indicator of what was to come in the future.
The double-hundred against South Africa
It was the series opener against South Africa at Mount Maunganui in February this year. Playing in just his fourth Test, Ravindra walked out to bat at 39 for 2 and piled on a magnificent 240 off 366 deliveries. The home team amassed a massive 511 against a second-string South African unit and went on to win the Test by 281 runs. New Zealand also won the second Test at Hamilton and achieved a historic first series win against South Africa! Ravindra had played his part in it.
Exploits in Christchurch and Galle
Ravindra top-scored for New Zealand in the second innings in Christchurch against a top-notch Australian attack comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. His 82 gave New Zealand a realistic chance of winning the Test as they set Australia a stiff target of 279 in the fourth innings. In fact, they had them on the ropes at 80 for 5 before Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey produced some magic and altered the course of the match.
From Christchurch to Galle, Ravindra has showcased his versality in batting in diverse conditions across the world.
The Bengaluru ton in a rare Test victory
Ravindra was the Player of the Match and the architect of New Zealand’s historic win against India in the series opener in Bengaluru last week. It was just their third Test win on Indian soil and the first since 1988! Ravindra defied a high-quality Indian attack which included the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin in their own backyard and smashed a brilliant 134 off just 157 deliveries. His high impact knock included 13 fours and 4 sixes and almost batted India out of the match as New Zealand piled on 402 after routing India for 46. Ravindra again maintained his composure in the second innings and rescued New Zealand from a slightly tricky 35 for 2 to their target of 107 without any further damage.
Ravindra has scored 910 runs in 11 matches (21 innings) at an average of 47.89 with two hundreds and four fifties.
A stunning World Cup
Ravindra has not only displayed his batting prowess in Test cricket but also showcased his skills in white-ball cricket. He was the highest run-getter for New Zealand (and fourth-highest overall) in the 2023 World Cup in India where he had an aggregate of 578 runs in just 10 innings at a strike rate of 106.44. It was the joint-highest aggregate for a New Zealand batter in a single World Cup equalling the record of Kane Williamson (2019 World Cup in England).
His exploits included three hundreds and two fifties. Ravindra rose to the occasion against three top opposition units and hammered tons against Pakistan, England and Australia. He played a pivotal role in taking New Zealand to the semi-finals.
The only format where Ravindra is yet to make a mark is T20 cricket. He hasn’t set the stage on fire for New Zealand and is yet to leave a major mark on the IPL – though, he showed glimpses of his talent for Chennai Super Kings in the 2024 edition. 2025 may just be the year when that changes too!
Nikhil Narain is a die-hard cricket romantic, published author, and has worked for some of the leading digital websites and broadcasters in India and overseas. An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Nikhil's forte is using data and numbers creatively to weave interesting stories and revolutionize the way cricket statistics are generated and analyzed.
