New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra etched his name in the record books by becoming the first Kiwi batter since 2012 to score a Test century in India. His remarkable innings came during the first Test match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the same venue where Ross Taylor last achieved the feat with his 113 against India in 2012.

Ravindra reached the milestone in 124 balls, smashing 11 fours and two sixes, and showing his prowess despite wickets tumbling at the other end. The 24-year-old, batting in the middle-order for New Zealand, formed a crucial eighth-wicket partnership with veteran Tim Southee to stabilize the innings.

This century marks Ravindra’s second in Test cricket, his first having come earlier this year against South Africa, which he converted into a double ton. The Wellington-born batter, with family roots in Bengaluru, has grown steadily in the Test arena since making his debut in 2021 against India in Kanpur.

Ravindra’s innings not only stood out for its solidity but also for its length, as he went on to score 134 off only 157 deliveries. His gritty performance in challenging subcontinental conditions places him among the 21 New Zealand batters to have scored a century in India, underlining his growing importance in the Kiwi lineup.

The left-handed batter went on to add 137 runs for the eighth wicket with Tim Southee, who played another good knock of 65 in only 73 balls. Both batters went on to punish the bowlers as they smashed four sixes each. Ravindra went on to hit 13 fours during his innings while Southee scored five. The partnership came to an end when Mohammed Siraj had Southee caught by Ravindra Jadeja. 

New Zealand were ultimately bowled out for 402 runs, leading India by a huge margin of 356 runs.