South Africa's Kagiso Rabada has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings after a stellar performance in the first match of the ICC World Test Championship series against Bangladesh. The 29-year-old fast bowler became the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets and also finished with nine wickets in the match. Left-arm spinners Noman Ali of Pakistan and Mitchel Santner of New Zealand have also made significant progress in the rankings. Other notable improvements include Bangladesh's Taijul Islam and South Africa's Wiaan Mulder. In the batting rankings, India's Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pakistan's Saud Shakeel, and New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra have entered the top 10 for the first time.
South Africa's Kagiso Rabada has overtaken India's Jasprit Bumrah to claim the top spot in the ICC Test bowler's rankings. With a superb performance of nine wickets against Bangladesh, Rabada not only became the third-fastest Proteas bowler to reach 300 Test wickets, but also regained his position at the top of the rankings. Other bowlers, such as Pakistan's Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, have also moved up in the rankings after their impressive performances. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra has entered the top 10 for Test batsmen.
The New Zealand cricket team, fresh off their historic victory in Bengaluru, are looking forward to facing the challenging spinning track at Pune as an opportunity. Captain Tom Latham and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra expressed confidence in their team's ability to adapt and potentially utilise the conditions to their advantage. The visitors are even considering adjusting their playing XI to include an additional spinner, as a similar spinning track previously backfired for India against Australia.
Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar displayed his brilliance with both bat and ball in the 2nd Test against New Zealand as he took his first Test wicket in more than three and a half years. His magic delivery to breach Rachin Ravindra's defence and end his comfortable 65-run knock has been making rounds on the internet. Sundar also impressed with his bowling in the third session, getting rid of Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell, helping India dominate the Kiwis on Day 1.
After a steady start by New Zealand's batters, Washington Sundar's timely wickets in the second session, along with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja's spin attack, helped India keep the visitors in check on Day 1 of the 3rd Test match. Despite half-centuries by Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, the Indian bowlers were able to restrict New Zealand to 201 for 5 by the end of the session on a slow pitch that offered little support.
After impressing at the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup in India, Rachin Ravindra once again makes waves in Indian cricket with his brilliant performance in Bengaluru. His second Test hundred and 39 not out earn him the Player of the Match award as New Zealand secures their first Test victory in India since 1988. Rachin credits his success to his preparation at the Chennai Super Kings academy and the support of his family, who were in attendance at the match.
New Zealand's all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, who is originally from Bengaluru, played a crucial role in his team's first Test win in India in 36 years. He scored a century in the first innings and remained unbeaten in a tricky chase, earning him the Player of the Match award. Ravindra, who has fond memories of playing at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, also credits the facilities at the Chennai Super Kings' academy for his success.
In a dramatic turn of events, rain hindered India's progress in the first Test against New Zealand as they reached 344/3, trailing by 12 runs on day four. Sarfaraz Khan continued his impressive form with his maiden unbeaten Test century, while Rishabh Pant returned to action with a brisk 53 not out. New Zealand had posted a massive total of 402 in their second innings, with Rachin Ravindra scoring a maiden Test century. However, India's strong start with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma was dampened when they were dismissed in quick succession, but Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan added 136 runs for the third wicket before Kohli fell to Glenn Phillips on the last ball of the day. Follow the live updates of this thrilling match here.
India makes an impressive comeback in the opening Test match against New Zealand with a strong all-round performance. Although New Zealand took a 356-run lead in the first innings, India's batsmen showed resilience and ended Day 3 with a total of 231 for 3. With just two days left in the match, India will need some big contributions from their batsmen to stay in the game. Meanwhile, New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee put up an impressive show with the bat, scoring a total of 451 runs on Day 3.
Despite a valiant fightback from India's top order, New Zealand remain in a strong position in the 1st Test match. After a stellar batting performance from Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee, New Zealand have a commanding lead of 356 runs. However, India's strong response in the second innings, led by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Sarfaraz Khan, shows the hosts still have plenty of fight left.