'I have clarity of what needs to be done' - Rachin Ravindra after New Zealand's emphatic Bengaluru victory

Rachin Ravindra was one of the star performers for New Zealand as they beat India in the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, October 20, by eight wickets. He scored a mesmerising century in the first innings and backed it up with an unbeaten 39 as New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Rachin continued his love affair with India, where he had a splendid outing in the ODI World Cup last year. In Bengaluru, he had slammed a century against Pakistan. After winning the Player of the Match award in the first Test, the southpaw said that he understood the importance of getting into good positions to score runs in India.

“I guess it's a combination of both (form and preparation). As long as I have clarity of what needs to be done and I know what my plan is, it's great. Also having the choice of being able to move forward and back, wasn't trying to take the attack to them but taking care of my positions which is important in this part of the world. I wouldn't say I am looking to attack but I'm hoping to get into good positions that allow me to score," Rachin was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

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“It's just hopefully the way I move allows me to score in different areas. It's not about getting the boundary every time but also about rotating the strike and we speak about that in the team. It's important for us and hopefully that left-right combination frustrates them a little bit. I guess I'm a natural stroke-maker, even in white-ball cricket so it's nice to bring that into the Test arena,” the youngster added.

When does the second Test begin?

After New Zealand registered their first win on Indian soil after 36 years, fans are waiting for the second Test, which begins on Thursday, October 24 at the MCA Stadium, Pune. The quick turnaround won't give the teams too much time to assess their performances. India will want to take this defeat as a one-off event and not get too perturbed as they are still way ahead in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.

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Meanwhile, New Zealand climbed up two placed thanks to their fantastic victory and are currently stationed at No. 4 behind India, Australia, and Sri Lanka. With two more games left in the series, Tom Latham and Co. will want to get as many points as they can and stay in the hunt for a spot in the final.