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New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra spoke about the excitement of returning to Bengaluru and possibly playing in front of his father in the first Test against India, starting Wednesday, October 16. The first of three Tests between India and New Zealand will be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru - where his parents are from.
The 24-year-old debuted for New Zealand in India in the 2021 tour, which his side lost 0-1.
While speaking to the reporters two days before the start of the first Test, Ravindra mentioned how proud he is of his Indian heritage despite being a Kiwi through and through.
"This Test is extra significant for me because of the family connection. I was born and brought up in Wellington - I’m a Kiwi all the way through. (But) I’m very proud of my Indian heritage. To play where a lot of my family is based is something pretty special. There will be a bunch of them in the crowd. I know my dad will be here watching the game," Ravindra was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
Ravindra enjoyed an incredible 2023 ODI World Cup on Indian soil, scoring 578 runs at an average of 64.22 and a strike rate of 106.44 with three centuries and two fifties.
The excellent showing helped the youngster get picked by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for IPL 2024.
"About finding our own method and being comfortable with it" - Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra acknowledged the challenge of playing India in their conditions but maintained confidence in his side's batters to achieve success through their individual methods.
The 24-year-old was one of the few bright spots in New Zealand's recent 0-2 drubbing in the Test series in Sri Lanka with a brilliant 92 in the opening encounter.
"We’ve got some quality players in our set-up - Kane, Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell. Devon is very good at reverse sweeping and sweeping. Daryl is the same. It is about finding our own method and being comfortable with it," Ravindra said in the same interaction.
With ace batter Kane Williamson set to miss the opening India Test due to a groin injury, Ravindra mentioned that a call on his participation for the rest of the series will be taken later.
"We’re not sure. I guess he (Williamson) will play it by ear. Some news will come out soon enough," Ravindra added.
Meanwhile, the Kiwis have historically struggled in the longest format in India, winning only two of their 36 Tests in the country.
