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New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra admitted that Virat Kohli's wicket on the last ball of play on Day 3 of the Bengaluru Test on Friday, October 18 was a very important one. He added that the Kiwis are hopeful of getting a few more scalps in the morning on Day 4 of the Test match.
India staged an excellent fightback with the bat on Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Having conceded a mammoth first-innings lead of 356, they went to Stumps at 231-3. The hosts, however, suffered a huge setback just before close of play as Kohli was dismissed by Glenn Phillips off the last ball of the day.
Kohli (70) and Sarfaraz Khan (70*) added 136 for the third wicket after openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and Rohit Sharma (52) had featured in a stand of 72. Speaking after the end of Day 3, Ravindra shared his views on the significance of Kohli's dismissal just before close of play. He said (as quoted by PTI):
"It's pretty hard to crystal-ball gaze into the future. It's a quality batting line-up on a wicket that's not doing too much, so it's important for us to hold our lines and lengths and do that for long periods. But I think Kohli's wicket at the end was very important.
"Obviously, he's a guy who has scored 9,000-plus Test runs, which is pretty mind-blowing, but for us it was a huge wicket. We know things happen quickly in this part of the world, so, hopefully, we can stick at it and get a few wickets in the morning," Ravindra went on to add.
At Stumps on Day 3, India were trailing New Zealand by 125 runs with seven wickets in hand. They were all out for just 46 in their first innings after deciding to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions.
"Obviously, having my dad in the crowd is massive" - Rachin Ravindra reflects on special ton
Before Team India's batters put up an impressive show, Ravindra dominated with the bat for the Kiwis, scoring 134 off 157 balls, hitting 13 fours and four sixes. The southpaw had scored a ton in Bengaluru during the ODI World Cup last year too. He, however, admitted that hitting a hundred in the presence of his father, Ravi Krishnamoorthy, and other family members was special. He said:
"Obviously, having my dad in the crowd is massive. A lot of family who are watching the game, probably at the stadium and then at home on TV. I know they're very, very proud and it makes me happy. I know dad and mum would be very, very proud of that.
"Me being able to play in their hometown where they grew up is pretty special. Like I always say, I'm fully Kiwi, 100% Kiwi, but it's nice to have that Indian heritage base here in Bengaluru," Ravindra added.
The 24-year-old added 137 runs for eighth wicket with Tim Southee (65) as New Zealand put up an impressive total of 402 in their first innings.
