Follow UsEven though Kane Williamson played both the warm-up games for New Zealand, he had decided to sit out of the first game against England, given he was not fully fit for an intense game of cricket. Had he participated in the opening encounter of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Rachin Ravindra would have to sit out of the England clash, but fate would have it; he had one of the best days on the cricket field to ensure New Zealand registered a nine-wicket win in Ahmedabad.
Chance to bat at the top-order for New Zealand hadn’t been an easy affair lately, and Ravindra decided to make full use of it. After Will Young departed for a golden duck, Ravindra joined forces with Devon Conway to forge a 273-run partnership.
“I'm pretty lucky that I was able to get the chance to bat at three. I've opened the batting for my domestic team,” Rachin said in the post-match press conference in Ahmedabad. “So, it's pretty cool to get given the opportunity, and Young, he sort of had a rest after a busy Bangladesh tour for him. So, it was nice to get that opportunity in that game and for the first one too. So it’s somewhere I'm familiar with batting, and I really enjoy batting at the top too. It's being able to play cricket shots, but hey, there's still a long road ahead. I hope we can continue it."
Rachin conceded 76 runs in his quota of overs while dismissing Harry Brook. While it wasn’t particularly a good day for him with the ball, the lack of pressure from the other end could have been another factor behind his high economy rate too. Rachin, however, is unfazed by that and vows to make his bowling count in the coming days.
“That's fine. I think anything that helps out the team. Obviously, the sort of player I am, I want to be a genuine all-rounder and hopefully continue being a genuine all-rounder in the future. But I'm just happy with whatever label’s put on,” Rachin added.
“I was just trying to get into the game and I think we're lucky enough to have played these guys in an ODI series before, so a bit of familiarity in terms of bowling to the guys we had before. So, I think, yeah, you always want to make your mark on the game. Probably didn't come out as well as I would have wanted today, but look, that's the beauty of cricket. I think some days you have great days, some days you don't. So, we'll look at it and review it and hopefully go back again next game,” the Kiwi all-rounder added.