New Zealand's Ravindra shines with a century as Kohli's late dismissal hampers India's comeback efforts

Rachin Ravindra, aged 24, played a crucial innings, scoring a century that helped New Zealand finish their first innings at 402 runs, thereby securing a substantial lead of 356 runs against India. In reply, India managed to score 231 runs for the loss of three wickets by the conclusion of the third day of the rain-impacted opening test on Friday.

Starting the day at 180-3 in the sunlit M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the New Zealand team capitalized on Ravindra's impressive 134 runs and Tim Southee's 65 runs, intensifying the pressure on the Indian side, which is eager to avoid suffering a home defeat against New Zealand for the first time since 1988.

Despite a more confident display in their second innings, India faced a considerable challenge, trailing by 125 runs at stumps, with Sarfaraz Khan remaining unbeaten on 70 after Virat Kohli was dismissed for the same score on the last ball of the day.

Rohit Sharma contributed 52 runs, while his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal added 35 runs. However, the loss of both aggressive batsmen left India in a precarious position.

Kohli played a crucial role in stabilizing the innings alongside Khan, achieving a milestone of over 9,000 test runs. Nevertheless, he was granted a second chance when Ajaz Patel dropped a catch at slip during the evening session, but he could not capitalize on this opportunity, ultimately edging a delivery from Glenn Phillips to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.

The day was dominated by New Zealand, with Ravindra's performance placing his team in a strong position.

Ravindra, originally from Wellington but with family roots in Bengaluru, celebrated his second test century with a boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin, eliciting enthusiastic cheers from the local crowd.

The all-rounder struck 13 fours and four sixes, forming a 137-run partnership with Southee for the eighth wicket, further compounding India's difficulties.

In their first innings, India was dismissed for a mere 46 runs, marking their lowest total on home ground, as New Zealand's fast bowlers excelled on a dreary Thursday morning following a rain-affected opening day.

Daryl Mitchell was dismissed for 18 on Friday morning, playing a reckless shot against Mohammed Siraj that resulted in a catch at gully to Yashasvi Jaiswal. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah succeeded in having Blundell (5) caught at slip by KL Rahul, as the relentless pressure from the two fast bowlers proved effective.

Throughout the opening hour, the pair consistently troubled the batsmen, but it was the introduction of spin that posed significant challenges for the Black Caps. Ravindra Jadeja bowled Phillips (14), leaving New Zealand at 223-6.

Matt Henry (8) met a similar fate after hitting a couple of boundaries, as Jadeja secured his third wicket. However, New Zealand gradually began to recover from a precarious position of 233-7.

Southee eventually fell to Siraj shortly after the lunch break, but the former captain had already inflicted considerable damage with five fours and four sixes during his resilient innings. The innings concluded when Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets, first trapping Patel lbw and then having the left-hander caught while attempting another ambitious shot, despite Ravindra hitting a six that pushed New Zealand past the 400-run mark.

SportsLigue