Ravindra revels in ton with NZ in control against India
Rachin Ravindra has smashed a game-changing century as New Zealand posted 402 all out for a substantial first-innings lead of 356 runs over India, who battled back to make 3-231 by stumps on the third day of the rain-affected opening Test.
But the hosts, who are still trailing by 125 runs, were dealt a savage blow with the last ball of Friday’s play when their batting great Virat Kohli fell for 70.
Resuming on 3-180 at a sun-drenched M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the tourists rode Ravindra’s spectacular 134 and Tim Southee’s 65 to turn the screws on the hosts, who had collapsed to 46 all out on the opening day and are desperate to avoid a first home defeat against New Zealand since 1988.
India were still staring at a daunting challenge despite a much more assured performance in their second innings, with Sarfaraz Khan still there on 70.
But the loss of Kohli was a huge blow after he had gone past 9000 Test runs.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma had made 52 and opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal 35, but the dismissals of that swashbuckling duo had left India ill at ease.
Kohli then helped settle the nerves in the company of Khan and was handed a lifeline when Ajaz Patel dropped him at slip in the evening session.
But Kohli failed to make the most of the reprieve, edging one to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell off Glenn Phillips at the end of the day.
The high-scoring day had belonged to New Zealand with Ravindra’s knock putting his team in a commanding position.
Ravindra, who was born in Wellington but has family hailing from the south Indian city of Bengaluru, reached his second Test ton earlier with a swept boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin to draw huge cheers from an adoring home crowd.
The allrounder hit 13 fours and four sixes, and forged a 137-run partnership with Southee for the eighth wicket, as the pair heaped more misery on India.
The hosts had been bowled out for their worst total on home soil in the first innings on Thursday, as New Zealand’s fast bowlers dazzled after the opening day was washed out.
Daryl Mitchell departed for 18 on Friday morning, finding Jaiswal at gully with a careless shot against Mohammed Siraj, while Jasprit Bumrah had Blundell (5) caught at slip by KL Rahul as sustained pressure by the two pacers paid off.
The duo beat the bat on numerous occasions in the opening hour but it was the introduction of spin that troubled the Black Caps, Ravindra Jadeja shattering the stumps of Phillips (14) to leave them on 6-223.
Matt Henry (8) perished in a similar manner after smashing a couple of boundaries as Jadeja claimed his third wicket, but New Zealand steadily clawed their way back.
Southee eventually fell to Siraj shortly after lunch, but the former captain had already done plenty of damage with five fours and four sixes in his defiant knock before the innings came to an end when Kuldeep Yadav struck twice.
After trapping Patel lbw, the leg-spinner was hit for six by Ravindra which took New Zealand past 400 but then had the left-hander caught as he attempted another big one.
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