Rachin Ravindra and Will Young during the first ODI against Sri Lanka. Photo / Photosport
Rachin Ravindra and Will Young during the first ODI against Sri Lanka. Photo / Photosport
A trip that started with a “weird moment” returned to normalcy at the right time for Rachin Ravindra – and wrong one for Will Young.
In becoming the first cricketer to score a century on debut in both the Champions Trophy and World Cup, Ravindra helped the Black Caps book their semifinal berth and essentially guaranteed his starting spot for that match.
New Zealand have one more group game to play, against fellow semifinalists India on Sunday night, before selection decisions are made for the knockout fixture on March 5.
But Ravindra’s 112 against Bangladesh – when allied with his pedigree on the biggest stage – locked down a place in an crowded top order.
Now, providing Daryl Mitchell recovers from the illness that saw Ravindra bat at No 4, an unlucky Young looms as the odd man out, despite having hit a hundred of his own in the Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan.
Following the final tune-up against India, the Black Caps’ batting order to play either South Africa, Australia or Afghanistan will likely have the same construction as their last ODI semifinal. In that match, a 70-run defeat by hosts India at the 2023 World Cup, Ravindra opened alongside Devon Conway, followed by Kane Williamson, Mitchell, Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips.
A total of 327 was insufficient after Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson had been hammered in the first innings at the Wankhede. And while a different trio of pacers will be tasked with run prevention next week in Lahore, an average score of 337 from two tournament games at the venue suggests another significant total will be needed.
The 25-year-old boasts a strike rate of 110 to complement an average of 43 from 30 ODIs. A third of those matches came at the 2023 World Cup, when Ravindra struck three tons while racking up 578 runs.
It’s no wonder the 50-over format is his favourite, and there’s no doubt he is capable of deciding a high-scoring and high-stakes encounter.
“I enjoy the knockout-type aspect of it,” Ravindra said. “It means there’s no real room to have an off day or anything – that’s what excites you about cricket like that.
Rachin Ravindra celebrates after scoring a century against Bangladesh. Photo / AFP
“These are always the ones you’re looking at and thinking it would be nice to do reasonably well in. I just think there’s been good wickets to bat on and I’ve been given opportunities to bat at the top of the order.
“It’s exciting to have a campaign and a trophy to work towards.”
That opportunity was almost lost on the eve of the tournament, when a ball “entered the lights and didn’t leave” while Ravindra was fielding. The resulting blow to his forehead looked worse than it was, he said, but a short stint on the sidelines could easily have been extended.
“It all happened quite quickly and was a little bit of a daze,” Ravindra said. “I’m very fortunate it hit me where it did. Any lower and it probably would’ve been a real problem.”
After returning with his fourth ODI century – “it was cool to come back and really enjoy my cricket again after that weird moment” – the problem now belongs to the selectors. Chances are, it will be resolved after a tough conversation with Young, but Ravindra knows the battle for places is ultimately a positive.
“It’s just healthy competition,” he said. “The depth we have in the current team is amazing – I don’t think there’s many times we’ve seen a New Zealand team quite like it.
“It’s cool to be involved in an amazing period for New Zealand cricket and hopefully we can keep developing together and keep driving each other to contribute.”
