Why Will Rachin Ravindra Shine In India Test Series?

Rachin Ravindra played well in NZ's last Test series (Source:@mufaddal_vohra/X.com)Rachin Ravindra played well in NZ's last Test series (Source:@mufaddal_vohra/X.com)

A player's quality is often judged on how he performs on big stage and in alien conditions. If a player is young, the excitement around that cricketer goes a notch higher with expectations of him ruling the cricket world in future. Rachin Ravindra, the 24-year-old Indian origin New Zealand cricketer displayed those qualities in the ODI World Cup 2023 and since then has been the talk of the town.

He played in the Indian Premier League as well for Chennai Super Kings and is now a regular across formats for New Zealand. The Test tour of India is the toughest in the world and the BlackCaps last won a Test in India in 1988. So, it shows how tough it is for a Kiwi cricketer to perform in India and in recent times, only Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor have shown abilities to deliver in tough Indian conditions with bat. Rachin Ravindra though looks set to take the baton forward, and let's see what are the three reasons that make him favourite to deliver against Rohit Sharma and co.

Spin-Bowling Allrounder: An Invaluable Asset In Indian Conditions

Rachin Ravindra is a spin-bowling all-rounder and those skillsets are crucial in Indian conditions. The pitches are expected to assist spinners, so the player who can bat well and bowl spin in Indian conditions is always a valuable asset. It was the same skills that helped him get his maiden Test cap in 2021 on the India tour and now with success and more experience behind him, he is bound to show more application in the middle this time around.

India's biggest match-winners in home conditions in Test cricket have been Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin in the last decade or so. Both are spin-bowling allrounders who get a lot of chance to make an impact in Indian conditions and with Rachin Ravindra expected to bat at four and bowl lot of left-arm spin, expect him to make huge impact in the series.

Familarity And Confidence Of Performing In Indian Conditions

Rachin Ravindra's breakthrough tournament was the ODI World Cup in 2023. He was the leading run-scorer for New Zealand and scored 578 runs at an average of 64.22 and a strike rate of over 100. So, he has the confidence of delivering in Indian conditions and has the technique to deliver in Indian conditions. Also, the first Test is in Bengaluru where he has played lot of cricket for varied clubs as a kid when he used to visit his grandparents house with his parents.

Recent Form And Under-Pressure Knock In Sri Lanka

Rachin Ravindra has played just nine Test matches so far. However, in his short career, he has double century and three fifties to his name. He has been in good form in white-ball formats as well and is growing in stature with each passing game. 

The BlackCaps were in Sri Lanka before the India series and though they lost both the games, Rachin Ravindra displayed lot of character in the second innings of the first Test where he scored 92 runs. He was the only one who displayed skills to tackle spin on a turning deck and the knock has shown that he has the pedigree to deliver in tough Indian conditions as well.

So, with required skills and current form on his side, Rachin Ravindra is expected to deliver for the Kiwis in the India Test series and it could be a series which takes him a notch higher in the world of cricket.