Mount Maunganui (New Zealand): Rachin Ravindra finally caught up with his reputation on Monday, scoring 240 before New Zealand was all out for 511 on the second day of the first cricket test against South Africa. South Africa was in trouble at 80-4 at stumps, trailing by 431 runs. Kyle Jamieson took two wickets within three balls in the 10th over as South Africa slumped to 30-3 early.
David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza put on 44 for the fourth wicket but Hamza was out close to stumps, bowled by Mitchell Santner. Bedingham was 29 not out at stumps. The day belonged to Ravindra, who has been the Next Big Thing in New Zealand cricket since he was a teenager and now, at 24, has come of age.
He was a standout at high school, marked even then as an extraordinary talent. His reputation followed him when he made his first-class debut at 18, moved the New Zealand under-19 team and then into the Black Caps, first in T20 cricket in 2021 and a couple of months later into the test team.
He realized some of his extraordinary potential at last year's World Cup in India where he was fourth highest-scoring batsmen behind superstars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock. And on Sunday, in only his fourth test and seventh innings three years after his debut, he arrived in test cricket with a maiden century in the company of his idol Kane Williamson.
Williamson couldn't go on Monday, falling at 118 at the end of a 232-run third-wicket partnership. Ravindra went on to 150 and then to 200 from 340 balls, becoming the second-youngest New Zealander after Matthew Sinclair to score a double century and the third New Zealander to turn a maiden hundred into 200. Sinclair and Martin Donnely are the others.
When he was out, bowled by South Africa captain Neil Brand, Ravindra had batted six minutes more than nine hours. His was a majestic innings, full of grit and application.
In another extraordinary milestone Monday, South Africa captain Brand took 6-119 on test debut. Brand is only a part-time left-arm spinner and likely would not have expected to bowl with four seamers in the tourists' lineup. But without a specialist spinner and with the New Zealand innings taking up 144 overs, he was forced to bowl 26 overs on a drying pitch.
Brand bowled Ravindra with a ball which turned back sharply from, cannoned onto the stumps from Ravindra's leg as he tried to pull. He also took the wickets of Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry and Tim Southee. Ravindra didn't score swiftly earlier but showed patience and restraint. His century contained 10 fours and a six, his 200 included 21 fours and still just the one six.
Williamson gave him the inspiration on the first day to dig in and persevere in challenging conditions against tight South African bowling. Ravindra always has chosen Williamson as his model, has watched and tried to match the manner in which Williamson has assembled his 30 test centuries.
He was able in his fourth test to replicate those qualities and even outlast Williamson. It was only when his 200 came up, after a nervous wait of more than 20 minutes on 199, that he let go some of the restraints and began to hit out as New Zealand moved towards a declaration. His complete innings contained 26 fours and three sixes.
The way I bat is just sort of natural, Ravindra said. The way I score is just if it's there I'll hit it, if it's not I'll leave or defend it. On that surface I had to be a bit selective over which balls I was going to score off. Kane was providing me with the perfect template of how to do it at the other end. Being able to lean on him throughout the partnership was great.
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