Rachin Ravindra's Century Intensifies New Zealand's Control in First Test Against India
Rachin Ravindra's impeccable innings extended New Zealand's domination in the first Test against India. An unbeaten 125-ball 104 by the left-hander proved to be the ideal counter to India's initial momentum on the third day, especially after early strikes in the morning had threatened to curtail New Zealand's first innings.
Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah had dealt early blows to New Zealand. The scenario changed as Ravindra Jadeja's twin strikes gave India a short-lived momentum with the ball. From a strong 193/3, New Zealand stumbled to 233/7. Still, Ravindra found a strong ally in Tim Southee, with the duo crafting an unbroken 112-run stand to blunt India's fightback.
Ravindra predominantly dominated the scoreboard in partnership with Southee. His skills against the spinning ball, utilization of the crease and taking on both Jadeja and Ashwin, left India without answers. The second half of the morning session witnessed India fumble their composure, enabling New Zealand to extend their lead to 299.
Ravindra's aggressive stance paired with Southee's resilience nullified India's initial success. Despite losing early wickets, New Zealand managed to hold their ground courtesy of the strong partnership. The day ended with India trailing by a massive 299 runs. The pitch is likely to pose a challenging scenario in the last two days for the Indian side.
Brief scores: India 46 (Matt Henry 5-15, William ORourke 4-22) trail New Zealand 345/7 (Rachin Ravindra 104*, Devon Conway 91; Ravindra Jadeja 3-72) by 299 runs.
