Rachin Ravindra scripts records with maiden double-ton against South Africa
New Zealand's rising sensation Rachin Ravindra has brought up his maiden double-century in Tests. The left-handed batter accomplished the milestone on Day 2 of the opening Test against South Africa in Mount Maunganui. He became only the second NZ batter to score a Test double-hundred against the Proteas. Ravindra ended up scoring 240 runs off 366 balls (26 fours, 3 sixes).
A stunning innings from Ravindra
NZ lost both openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham cheaply as Ravindra arrived with the scorecard reading 39/2. He joined forces with Kane Williamson (118) as the duo added 232 runs. While Ravindra returned unbeaten on 118 on Day 1, he continued to bat well and Day 2. He also recorded a century stand with Daryl Mitchell besides an 82-run partnership with Glenn Phillips.
3,000 FC runs loading for Ravindra
Ravindra is playing his fourth Test and his first in over two years. He had just 73 Test runs under his belt prior to this game with 18* being his best score. Ravindra has now raced to 313 runs. Meanwhile, he has raced to 2,993 First-Class runs, averaging 39-plus (100s: 7, 50s: 12). He also owns 54 FC wickets with his left-arm spin.
Highest maiden hundred for NZ
Ravindra's 240 is now the third-highest Test score by a batter operating at four or lower on New Zealand soil. He is only behind Brendon McCullum (302 vs India, 2014) and Martin Crowe (299 vs Sri Lanka, 1991) in this regard. Meanwhile, the southpaw also recorded the highest maiden Test hundred by a NZ player. Ravindra's brilliance has powered NZ past 470.
Second-highest partnership for NZ vs SA
As per ESPNcricinfo, Ravindra and Williamson's 232-run stand is now the second-highest partnership for a NZ pair against SA in Tests (for any wicket). They are only behind Stephen Fleming and James Franklin, who added 256 runs in the 2006 Cape Town Test. Chris Cairns and Jacob Oram (225 in Auckland, 2004) are the only other NZ pair with a 200-plus stand against SA.
Second NZ batter with double-century vs SA
As mentioned, Ravindra became only the second Kiwi batter to score a Test double-hundred against South Africa. He has joined Fleming, who scored 262 in the 2006 Cape Town Test. Besides Ravindra, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (374 and 237), India's Virat Kohli (254*), and West Indies's Brain Lara (202) are the only other number-four batters with Test double-tons against SA in this century.
Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023
Last month, Ravindra was named the ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023. Ravindra, who made his ODI debut last year, set the ICC ODI World Cup on fire with his sensational knocks. He smashed a whopping 578 runs at the event at 64.22. The tally includes three tons. It was the highest tally for a New Zealand player at the tournament.
