Rachin Ravindra knew very early that cricket was going to be his life. Not because he had a first name that was a combination of Rahul (Dravid) and Sachin (Tendulkar).
But because he started playing when he was a little boy in New Zealand, and often found himself in teams meant for older players. He was a part of the academy teams that his father, a former club cricketer, took on annual tours of India.
Both his parents are from India — Bengaluru to be precise. It was in India that he made his Test debut.
Making a splash
He also made his World Cup debut in India, just over a week ago. What a debut it turned out to be at Ahmedabad, against England. His unbeaten 123 came off just 96 balls, at one drop; it was an innings of top quality, featuring some sumptuous strokes. His unbroken second-wicket stand of 273 with Devon Conway helped the Kiwis avenge their defeat — on account of scoring fewer boundaries — in the 2019 World Cup final. In his previous innings, in the warm-up match against Pakistan at Hyderabad, the left-hander had cracked a 72-ball 97, opening the innings.
Two years ago, in the second innings of his maiden Test in Kanpur, he faced 91 balls as he made 18 not out, after coming in at No. 8. It saved the Test.
It is early days yet, but Ravindra looks a star for the future. Lest we forget, he is a handy left-arm spinner, too.
Batting is his first love. During an interview at Hubballi, after the second ‘Test’ between India-A and New Zealand-A last season, he told this correspondent that he had been trying to work harder on his bowling. “I would probably say that batting is my first skill, but I love bowling too,” he said. “I would love to be a genuine all-rounder at the highest level.”
He hadn’t started off as a spinner, though. “I used to bowl seam until I was like 10, and then one of the coaches in Wellington said, ‘Look, if you want to bowl seam and open the batting, it’s pretty difficult’. He suggested that I pick up spin.”
That has proved a good piece of advice. “Now I enjoy bowling a lot,” Ravindra said. “Daniel Vettori is a big reason why I love left-arm spin bowling. He was able to take wickets in New Zealand. He wasn’t the biggest turner of the ball, but he was a brilliant bowler. He held his length very well, and was able to change his pace and angle so well.”
Ravindra has a lot of respect for the Indian spin duo of R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. He must have earned some respect from them as well for his match-saving efforts in Kanpur.
He relished the experience of intense Test cricket. “Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel are among the best spinners in the world and are completely different types of bowlers,” he said. “Ashwin has a lot of variety and Jadeja is just so relentless, Axar is in the same sort of mould, but he is a bit taller.”
Love for Test cricket
Although he very much belongs to a generation that is more used to the white ball than the red, his favourite format is Test cricket. He loves the drama it provides.
“Test cricket has so many different variables, though T20 has its moments,” he said. “There’s nothing like the drama of the last day of a Test match. India’s great chase against Australia at the Gabba in 2021 is a perfect example of the Test match drama. The knock by Rishabh Pant, the hook by Washington Sundar — with one foot off the ground — against Pat Cummins. And it was a lot of runs to chase on the final day.”
Ravindra had made his T20I debut a couple of months before he played his first Test. His First Class debut had come some three years earlier, for New Zealand-A against Pakistan-A at Dubai. He hit 70 in his maiden innings for a senior New Zealand XI.
“Growing up, I’d always wanted to be a professional cricketer,” he said. “Once you go through the teenage years, and when you are playing above your age group — I played for New Zealand[-A] when I was 19 — I knew in the back of my mind that I had the potential. And I was involved in two [Under-19] World Cups.”
So how did it all begin?
“My parents, especially my dad, he loves cricket, but he did not force it on me at all,” he said. “He has been my coach. He played some club cricket and stuff.”
Looking up to the greats
Both his parents are fans of Tendulkar and Dravid. “They were both awesome cricketers, whom I have looked up to,” he said. “Among the current batters, I look up to Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli. Like Kohli, I want to do well in all the formats.”
Ravindra said he was lucky that he could tour India several times with his father’s academy. “The tour sort of runs every year,” he said. “So I’ve been lucky enough to play at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Anantapur.”
He has also had a stint in county cricket. He played for Durham last year and hit 217 on his debut, against Worcestershire. “Playing First Class cricket in England was awesome,” he said. “And you get a taste of the Dukes ball.”
He said domestic cricket back home in New Zealand was pretty strong too. “We have only got six teams, so you have to be really good to get into one of them,” he said. “The strength and depth of the New Zealand national team is a testimony to the quality of our domestic cricket.”
Ravindra is only one of the several players of Indian origin to have played for New Zealand. There have been men like Dipak Patel, Jeetan Patel, Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel. “It’s a very welcoming society,” he said. “The environment allows people to come in and do whatever they can. I was born and bred in New Zealand, but I have the Indian heritage and roots that I respect.”
