Mount Maunganui, Feb 5: Rachin Ravindra finally caught up with his reputation on Monday, scoring 240 before New Zealand was all out for 511 on the second day of the first Test against South Africa.
South Africa was in trouble at 80-4 at stumps, trailing by 431 runs. Kyle Jamieson took two wickets within three balls in the 10th over as South Africa slumped to 30-3 early.
David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza put on 44 for the fourth wicket but Hamza was out close to stumps, bowled by Mitchell Santner. Bedingham was 29 not out at stumps.
The day belonged to Ravindra, who has been the Next Big Thing in New Zealand cricket since he was a teenager and now, at 24, has come of age.
He realized some of his extraordinary potential at last year’s World Cup in India where he was fourth highest-scoring batsmen behind superstars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock.
And on Sunday, in only his fourth Test and seventh innings three years after his debut, he arrived in Test cricket with a maiden century in the company of his idol Kane Williamson.
Ravindra became the second-youngest New Zealander after Matthew Sinclair to score a double century and the third New Zealander to turn a maiden hundred into 200. Sinclair and Martin Donnely are the others. When he was out, bowled by South Africa captain Neil Brand, Ravindra had batted six minutes more than nine hours. His was a majestic innings, full of grit and application.
In another extraordinary milestone Monday, South Africa captain Brand took 6-119 on Test debut. (AP)
