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The third day of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru witnessed a dominant performance from the visitors, spearheaded by Rachin Ravindra's exceptional century. Ravindra's unbeaten 104, his second Test hundred, served as a perfect counter-punch to India's early morning strikes, effectively deflating any hopes of a comeback from the hosts.
After a promising start with early wickets by Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, India's bowlers found themselves struggling to contain Ravindra's onslaught. The young left-hander displayed remarkable composure and technique, effortlessly navigating the spinning deliveries of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. He used his feet to good effect and unleashed powerful strokes, particularly against Jadeja, who appeared to be struggling with his consistency. The partnership between Ravindra and Tim Southee, who remained unbeaten on 49, further frustrated India, as the duo amassed an unbroken 112-run stand.
Despite Jadeja's valiant effort, India's spinners lacked the necessary accuracy and control to break through the eighth-wicket partnership. The eagerness to wrap up the innings quickly seemed to have clouded their judgment, resulting in loose deliveries and a significant increase in runs. This allowed New Zealand to extend their lead to a commanding 299 runs, with the pitch expected to become even more challenging in the following days. Ravindra's heroics and his partnership with Southee effectively nullified all the positive work India had managed to achieve in the early hours of the day, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb if they are to salvage the Test match.
Source: Ravindra's majestic ton deflates India's fightback plans