24-year-old New Zealand National Cricket Team all-rounder Rachin Ravindra claimed that Indian National Cricket Team batting superstar Virat Kohli punished the Kiwis with his stunning batting performance in the first Test.
Rachin’s words came after Kohli’s crushing half-century against the BlackCaps at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Day 3 of the Test series opener.
Virat Kohli is obviously a great player, he punished us, but – Rachin Ravindra
After 8 years in Test cricket, after scoring a duck in the first innings while batting at No.3, Kohli redeemed himself with a stunning fifty in the second innings.
He came into the fray after the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal and forged a crucial partnership with Sarfaraz Khan. Kohli lost the mark on the 15th ball but looked stunning in the middle once he settled.
Virat Kohli’s batting looked set for a century. However, Glenn Phillips dismissed him on the last ball of Day 3, breaking the hearts of the Indian dressing room as well as the fans.
Kohli took a long walk back to the pavilion after scoring 70 runs off 102 balls. His innings was completed with 8 fours and 1 six.
Meanwhile, Kiwi sensation Rachin Ravindra spoke to broadcasters after the end of play on Day 3 and claimed that Virat Kohli had punished his team but still had plenty of runs on the board to play for. He said:
“Virat is obviously a great player, he punished us but we still have a lot of runs to play for.”
Just trying to build partnerships – Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra batted brilliantly in New Zealand’s first innings and frustrated the Indian bowlers. He smashed a brilliant ton and finished with 134 runs off 157 balls.
Ravindra’s brilliant innings gave New Zealand a huge lead in the first innings, posting 402 runs on the board after bowling India out for 46 runs on Day 2.
Rachin Ravindra also spoke about his sensational partnership of 137 with Tim Southee, saying they were very clear about what they needed to do. He said:
“I was just trying to build a partnership. That partnership with Tim (Southey) really helped me; the goal was clear and we knew what we had to do.”
This is a beautiful wicket to bat – Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra later said that he enjoyed playing on the Chinnaswamy surface as it was a good pitch to bat on and was happy to have his father in the stands during the first Test. He elaborated:
“(In Bengaluru) It’s a bit of a consolation, though the wicket is completely different, it’s nice to know the surroundings. It’s a nice wicket to bat. Not superstitious really.
“It’s great that he (his father) is here, it’s his hometown, he has his family here. It’s a big crowd. I actually took the whole book (allocation of tickets).”
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