‘Combination of fitness and preparation’: Rachin Ravindra reveals how he trained for New Zealand’s subcontinent tour

It was a homecoming to remember for New Zealand’s young batting star Rachin Ravindra, who won the Player of the Match award for his stellar knock of 134 followed by an unbeaten 39 against India in the opening Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

With his family hailing from the city, Ravindra made the return to his hometown special as he played a crucial role in the Kiwis registering their first win on Indian soil after 35 long years. The youngster expressed his happiness at his training to adapt to the challenges of the conditions in the subcontinent paying off. His ability to play both front and back was a key aspect that allowed him to put up a massive score on the board.

“It’s a combination of form and preparation. As long as he is clear and knows my plan, he will help me. Knowing when to go forward or back helps, and it also gets you into good positions. When you have six Tests from the subcontinent, do some extra work: indoors, lay down some mats or go outside and do some training. Luckily, everything worked out today,” revealed Ravindra, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Ravindra revealed aspects of his preparation, which included playing in various conditions to ensure he had all bases covered. This included practicing on both red and black clay courts while also facing the bowlers in the nets.

“I was trying to get a feel for different pitches, red and black pitches while I was preparing in Chennai, and figuring out what positions I could go in and guards I could take different bowlers. It was a great set-up there, I had an open wicket , different wickets, nets every day, bowlers every day and invaluable experience. Grateful for those guys who put it on,” he added.

Ravindra was clear about his intention, which was to keep the races going. That meant he was willing to take the occasional single or even go for a more offensive shot if the delivery called for it, as the Kiwi batsman revealed.

“I try to be in good positions to be able to score and open up areas. You also want to rotate the strike, not necessarily attack. Having a family is emotional, the phone starts blowing up and so do the crowds. It makes it even more special,” he concluded.