IND vs NZ : Rachin Ravindra’s Blazing Ton Gives New Zealand A Strong Yet Rare Chance To Defeat India Despite India’s Fight Back With Bat

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New Zealand are all over India in the first Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Rachin Ravindra starred with the bat in the first innings smashing his second Test century after the bowlers skittled the home team for just 46 runs. The lead in the first innings has gone past the mammoth 300-run mark now for the Kiwis, the highest India have conceded at home since 2012.

Rachin Ravindra’s innings of 134 has put New Zealand in a strong position to assert themselves and push for victory. With a first innings lead of 356 runs, which is significant given the deteriorating pitch, New Zealand’s bowlers have the potential to bowl India out as they did in the first innings.

Rachin Ravindra became the first New Zealand batter since 2012 to score a Test century on Indian soil during the first Test against India at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. Though New Zealand lost four wickets in the morning session, Rachin Ravindra, whose family hails from Bengaluru, got up the tempo through a breezy century filled with eye-catchy 11 fours and two sixes. The 21-year-old’s century was his second in Test cricket, having scored his maiden hundred against South Africa earlier this year.

Day 3 : Morning Session : Rachin Ravindra’s majestic ton deflates India’s fightback plans

Rachin Ravindra’s second Test hundred extended New Zealand’s dominance on the third day of the first Test against India in Bengaluru. The left-hander’s unbeaten 125-ball 104 was the perfect counter-punch that the visitors needed after India had threatened to limit the first innings damage with early strikes in the morning.

Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah struck once apiece in the first 30 minutes before Ravindra Jadeja’s twin strikes gave India some momentum with the ball. From 193/3, New Zealand slipped to 233/7 but Rachin Ravindra then found an able partner in Tim Southee (49*) as the pair stitched an unbroken 112-run stand to blunt India’s charge.

Rachin Ravindra did the bulk of the scoring in the partnership initially. The youngster looked adept against the spinning ball and used his feet as well as the depth of the crease to great effect. Rachin Ravindra took on the favorable match-up in Jadeja to smash a few boundaries and sixes, and also took a liking to Ravichandran Ashwin. The offspinner looked a pale shadow of his usual self as he leaked runs with the pair smashing 20 off his over which was the penultimate of the session.

As much as Rachin Ravindra excelled with the bat, India were guilty of losing their composure in the second half of the morning session. The eagerness to wrap things up quickly meant that the spinners couldn’t execute on a consistent basis. Jadeja was the best of the lot and caused moments of doubt even for Rachin Ravindra but India were unable to break through the eighth-wicket stand. It meant that the visitors have now swelled their lead to 299 with the pitch only going to be tougher over the next two days.

Rachin Ravindra’s heroics and his stand with Southee undid all the good work that India had done in the first hour of the day. After a poor ball to start the session, Siraj soon found his bearings and had Daryl Mitchell caught at gully. Bumrah worked up steam and then nipped out Tom Blundell to halt the visitors’ run flow.

Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry both came out swinging in pursuit of quick runs, but fell to the guile of Jadeja. At that point, India would have fancied starting their second innings shortly in the session. However, Rachin Ravindra and Southee ensured that they not only prevented further damage but also put India back on the mat.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj got India off to a relentless start, taking a wicket each in their five-over spells. The way Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry kept swinging at the ball didn’t inspire much confidence nor did it bring many runs. The first four wickets fell for 53, and India were now looking at a long tail.

Rachin Ravindra, back to the city where his father was born, had other ideas. He and Tim Southee added 137 runs in a little over 20 overs, the second-quickest stand of 100 or more against India. Ravindra trusted Southee to an extent that he faced only the first three balls of the first 19 in the stand, which seemed to coax responsibility out of the seam bowler known for his six-hitting.

Having started the day on 22 and having taken a boundary off the first ball he faced, a loosener from Siraj, Rachin Ravindra batted with urgency but also with respect. He scored 101 of his runs against spin because Bumrah and Siraj hardly gave him a loose ball.

The first signs of any manufacturing of shots came 11 overs before the new ball became available when Rachin Ravindra charged Kuldeep Yadav and lofted him back over his head to get to his fifty. He then went over midwicket to take the lead past 200. In the same over, Southee got a half-volley, which he lofted for his first boundary.

Just like that, the flood gates had opened. From waiting for the new ball, India went to delaying the new ball because it only became available close to lunch and they needed a breather to regroup. In the 12 overs leading up to the break, New Zealand scored 102 runs, Rachin Ravindra went from 48 off 86 to 104 off 125, and Southee hit three sixes to go past Virender Sehwag’s tally of 91. R Ashwin was taken down ruthlessly as he provided overpitched balls, his 16 overs going for 94 and one wicket off a reverse-sweep.

Day 3 : Post Lunch Session : India start steadily in pursuit of massive deficit of 356

After producing an embarrassing batting display in the first innings, one that saw them record the lowest-ever Test total by any team in Asia, India breathed a sigh of relief as they got off to a steady start in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. With an hour and thereabouts to negotiate till the tea break, Rohit Sharma (27*) and Yashaswi Jaiswal (29*) began well with an unbroken 57-run stand to lead India’s reply after New Zealand conjured a gargantuan first innings lead of 356.

With the sun out and pitch having eased out, both batters applied themselves well and there weren’t many moments of panic during this passage of play. After a cautious few overs, Rohit opened up with a few delectable drives and silky flicks to keep the scoreboard going. Jaiswal didn’t seem his usual fluent self and appeared streaky at the crease but gathered momentum as the overs went by. The scoring rate of close to four-runs-per-over meant that India weren’t getting bogged down – a key point when the deficit is of such huge margin.

Batting has gotten relatively easy but the surface does have signs of uneven bounce which could increase in proportion over the next two days. Spin also seems set to play a large role but for now, the surface hasn’t misbehaved as such.

Rachin Ravindra showcased a tutorial on how to bat and his onslaught after Lunch added valuable runs for New Zealand as the lead surged past the 350-run mark. Tim Southee also weighed in with a fifty but fell soon after the milestone, leaving Ravindra with no.10 and 11 for company.

That’s when  Rachin Ravindra completely moved into T20 mode. It’s not like he needed any invitation to take on the spinners as that is precisely what he had done earlier on as well. But this gave him full license to have a go and he peppered the field with some powerful strikes. India were guilty of not taking an LBW review off Kuldeep Yadav when Ravindra was on 110. He went on to add another 24 more runs to hurt India further. The southpaw was eventually out to the wrist spinner as the last wicket to fall but not before he had done large scale damage.

With a deficit of 299 and seven sessions left in the game, India have their backs against the wall. The next session of the day has to be a really good one for the home side, if they are to head into the fourth day with a strong chance of salvaging the game.

Post lunch, the new ball kept going past the bat, but New Zealand managed to go past 400. India doubled down on their aggressive approach when they came out to bat, which did make sense on a flatter pitch. Jaiswal still needed some luck when the ball was new, but he also charged down the wicket to drill Matt Henry through mid-off for four.

With the ball not seaming, Henry went too full looking for swing, giving Rohit early momentum in the innings. The run-rate kept growing progressively, but the attacking approach also comes with risk, which it appeared India were happy to live with. There were gasps when Jaiswal ran at Ajaz, and was stumped off a ball that didn’t turn, but this team was not going to give any mixed messages. This is the approach that had brought India a quick 72 runs and had spread the field, and they were happy to live with a dismissal doing this.

Day 3 : Afternoon Session : Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan stars in India’s rearguard action as NZ stay ahead

The third day of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru witnessed a thrill-a-minute ride as 453 runs were scored and 10 wickets also fell. At the end of it all, New Zealand continued to be in the ascendency but India have produced a strong aggressive second innings performance thus far.

The hosts went at a rapid rate of 4.71 runs-per-over in the 49 overs that they faced, cutting down the massive first innings deficit of 356 to 125. With seven wickets left and two days to play, India’s chances in the game have significantly increased, although the Black Caps continue to be in the box seat, especially with the big wicket of Virat Kohli (70) off the last ball of the day.

Rohit Sharma’s 63-ball 52 set the tone for India’s second innings riposte as the Indian captain put on a 72-run opening stand with Yashaswi Jaiswal (35). The left-hander, though, wasn’t at his fluent best and eventually perished while trying to take on the favorable match-up of Ajaz Patel’s left-arm spin.

That breakthrough, against the run of play, then produced another bizarre dismissal. Rohit, who was batting very fluently, got a bottom-edge that rolled nonchalantly onto the stumps, almost in slow-motion. It left him shocked and the double strike gave New Zealand strong momentum to push for a few more wickets.

However, India kept the intent meter going as Sarfaraz Khan came out all guns blazing. He was particularly severe on the spinners, reserving special treatment for Ajaz. Those slog-sweeps and late-cuts were in full flow, and when pace was brought on, Sarfaraz adventured with an upper-cut for six over deep backward point.

Kohli wasn’t far behind as he took on the spinners with elan and the pair’s 136-run stand came at a rollicking pace. Both batters looked set to end the day together but it wasn’t to be. Glenn Phillips had created a chance against Kohli few overs before stumps, only for Ajaz to shell the opportunity at first slip. The off-spinner eventually had the last laugh as he got the batter nicking to ensure that New Zealand ended the day on a high.

Despite India’s aggressive batting show, the day belonged to Rachin Ravindra (134) whose second Test ton ensured that the visitors had a massive first-innings total. Continuing from his impressive outing in Sri Lanka, Ravindra looked unfazed against spin and pace, tackling both with aplomb.

Even as wickets fell around him, he along with Tim Southee (65) thwarted India’s plans of wrapping up New Zealand’s innings quickly in the morning. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja bowled with purpose in the first hour of the day but once the Ravindra-Southee onslaught started, there was no respite for the hosts.

Rachin Ravindra’s knock was chance less and India’s only real opportunity at getting him came when he was on 110. However, that LBW call off Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t reviewed by India. The left-hander went on to smash another 24 runs and New Zealand amassed 169 runs with their last three wickets to dent India. The deficit of 356 was daunting but India have done well to stay in the hunt, although they would have been happier if Kohli had managed to see the day through. The game is set up nicely for a potentially pulsating fourth day.

Rohit’s immediate assault on Henry even as Kohli took 15 balls to get off the pair summed up India’s mindset. A drive for a four, a pull for a six, then a pull for a four brought up his fifty in just 59 balls.

And then a wicket conjured itself. Rohit defended Ajaz with a dead bat, the ball hit the inner half of the bat and top spun onto the wicket after bouncing behind the crease. Rohit was not aware of where the ball was, which might suggest lack of awareness, but it is doubtful if he had enough time to kick it away.

A delightful partnership of 136 followed. Sarfaraz was cheeky, playing the ball impossibly late or audaciously early. Spin was tackled with sweeps, pace was almost exclusively shown direction behind the wicket. At one point he was ducking William O’Rourke, but the ball nipped back at him, and he ramped it over the keeper just because he could. Kohli was more orthodox in skipping down and lofting Ajaz over long-off.

Runs flowed, bowlers erred, a Henry spell of reverse swing was negotiated, Ajaz dropped Kohli at slip off Phillips, an odd choice for a slip fielder. Phillips is a wicketkeeper who has forced himself to become a utility offspinner to survive in international cricket. It seems he puts a lot more body into the ball than fingers, but he keeps using the angles and keeps trying. With the last ball of the day, he managed to get less turn than expected, and took the faintest of edges to lift New Zealand.

Road Ahead on Day 4 for India and New Zealand

Only one side has ever won a Test after scoring fewer than the 46 they did in the first innings of the match, but India were entertaining thoughts of doing it. They are onto something special in Bengaluru, and that through a sensational attacking approach with the bat. Don’t get it wrong, New Zealand were still ahead on cold numbers, but India have been pulling off unbelievable wins of late and a fourth-innings chase of even a 100 or so will not be easy.

A day after being bowled out for 46 and falling behind by 136 runs, which then ballooned up to a total deficit of 356, India batted at well over five an over until the last few overs to finish 125 behind with seven of their wickets still in hand. New Zealand got themselves late fillip through Glenn Phillips, who snuck in an outside edge from Virat Kohli to the last ball of the day.

When you get bowled out for 46 in the first innings, you need pretty much everything to go your way, but India kept marching on even when things didn’t go their way. Their testing bowling early in the day was interrupted by the quickest hundred-run stand against India in India, but their batters came out positive, putting New Zealand under immense pressure on what was now a flat pitch. The bowlers erred regularly, spread-out fields allowed easy runs, and a catch went down.

Even the falling wickets failed to slow India down. When Yashaswi Jaiswal got out stumped, Rohit Sharma scored 16 off the next eight balls he played. Rohit’s freakish dismissal, played on off a dead defensive, brought out Sarfaraz Khan, who raced away to 23 off 16.

Like Joe Root among the hectic England batters, Virat Kohli remained serene, but also skipped down the track to hit a six off Ajaz Patel almost as a nod to acknowledge the positive approach. However, this approach will be tested as a new batter will join Sarfaraz, unbeaten on 70, on the fourth morning.

453 runs in the day. The ones at the Chinnaswamy got their moneys worth. India putting on a great reply in their bid to bounce back. New Zealand got a 356-run lead, thanks to a sensational century from Ravindra and great rearguard action from Southee. The hosts were under serious pressure with the bat having got only 46 in the first innings. But Rohit and Jaiswal started off really well with a fifty-plus stand. Jaiswal threw it away trying to attack after Tea.

Rohit looked set for a biggie after completing his fifty but was out unusually – defending onto his own stumps. Sarfaraz came out with sensational intent and he took pressure off Virat and Virat joined the party in familiar territory. The duo raised their century stand in 101 balls and New Zealand didn’t have a clue. They tried so hard but the defenses were so strong. Ajaz Patel missed an edge of Virat and India set to go into the break with their heads held high until a faint edge stunned everyone.

A lot will also depend on whether Rishabh Pant’s movements will be hampered after he missed one-and-a-half day’s play because of a blow on the knee he had injured in his road accident. The good news for India is that he was padded up along with KL Rahul, and also that he removed the pads even without having to bat on day three.

India have done so well to cut the deficit down to 125. Pant was padded up so he will bat. KL, Jadeja, Ashwin to follow. Pitch is good for batting but it does demand temperament. If India get ahead with wickets in hand this game could be so interesting.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Side Arm Specialists In India Need To Work Hard To Prepare Batters For Tough Times”- Abhishek Jain Gives His Invaluable Insights

 

 


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