Image Credit- AP
In 2010, Rachin Ravindra was barely ten years old when
he saw Kane Williamson play for his country. Over the years, Ravindra has grown
to admire the New Zealand batsman, so when it was Williamson’s turn to show off
his admiration for the 24-year-old on Sunday, he was clearly moved.
“After I got to my century, Kane come up to me
and said, ‘mate, you’re unbelievable’. It’s so surreal. To be receiving that
kind of special praise from one of the best batters in the world. It’s the
coolest thing I’ve been a part of.”
After leaving New Zealand with Williamson and himself
in a strong position against South Africa, with the hosts comfortably ahead at
258 for 2, Ravindra commented. In the course of an uninterrupted 219-run stand,
both batters achieved hundreds, and Ravindra was cognizant of the momentous
occasion.
“Playing alongside Kane is always very
special,” he said. “Sharing the crease with someone I idolise so
much, life has come full circle for me. It’s a real ‘pinch-me’ moment. Seeing
him go about his business as usual, with his calmness and timing, and the
positions he gets himself into, it was pure batting bliss. As a lover of New
Zealand cricket, seeing him still score Test hundreds is unbelievable.
“You saw it at the World Cup as well. It shows
the pure resilience of the man, coming out of all those injuries and setbacks
as an even better cricketer. You can see it in his character, work ethic, and
the way he gives back to the team. Many guys who’ve played 15 years of
international cricket, they might not have come back like Kane did. He’s
unbelievable, just a model personality to have around. “
On his part, Ravindra stroked a maiden Test hundred –
118 off 211 balls, with 13 fours and a six – continuing his evolution as an
all-format cricketer. How important was the knock to him in that context?
“I don’t read into all that,” he said.
“It’s natural that people expect more from you once you have a decent
couple of games. I just try to contribute my best to the team. You want to play
as much as possible, but it all comes down to the team. The environment draws
everything forward.
“The way I batted was my natural way of scoring.
On that surface, I had to be a little more selective in choosing the balls to
score off. Kane was doing well at the other end, so being able to lean on him
in the partnership was great.