New Zealand on Wednesday capped off a sensational win against South Africa, defeating the Proteas by 281 runs to win the first Test in Mount Maunganui and take a 1-0 lead in the series. Chasing a daunting target of over 500 runs, South Africa could only manage 247 with Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner running roughshod, combining to grab seven wickets. But the platform for the win was set up by Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra, who made headlines with their respective centuries.
Williamson struck an impressive 118 in the first innings and followed it with another solid knock of 109 in the second, becoming the fifth New Zealand batter to smash twin centuries in a Test. Rachin, on the other hand, notched up his maiden Test century, driving New Zealand with a maiden century, which he converted into a double ton. With so many impressive performances stitched together in one game, the commentators were in a pickle to name their Player of the Match. In the end, beating all the others, the honour went to Rachin for his spellbound batting.
“Feels good in any capacity to contribute to team victory, how difficult it is to be out there for four-five days and get the job done. It’ll rate this knock pretty high because of the time we spent out there and the partnerships we put out there for this win,” he said after winning the award.
Rachin Ravindra won’t share his MOM award with Kane Williamson
Rachin and Williamson added 232 runs for New Zealand’s third wicket which allowed the Kiwis to recover from 39/2 to 271 before Ruan de Swardt provided the breakthrough. But Rachin, 24, kept going and converted his century into a marathon knock. While he gave full credit to Williamson for his subdued celebration, Rachin outrightly refused to share his Player of the Match trophy with his captain.
“Nah, not at all. He’s got 31 Test hundreds for my one so I’m not giving that one. Any time you contribute to the win it makes you feel special. As long as you’re giving your best you’re made to feel you belong and it’s driven well by the coaching staff,” the youngster said.
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