Ravindra Scores 176 and Latham 145, Giving NZ the Upper Hand

New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test: Ravindra Scores 176 and Latham 145, Giving NZ the Upper Hand

Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra put New Zealand firmly in control of the first Test against the West Indies with a lead of 481 at stumps on day three in Christchurch on Thursday.

New Zealand started the third day of the Christchurch Test already 96 runs ahead of West Indies. By the end of the day, they had stretched the lead to a massive 481 runs, putting themselves in complete control with two days still left to play. The highlight was a huge 279-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra (176) and Tom Latham (145), which powered New Zealand to a dominant position.

The pitch offered the best batting conditions of the match after two tough days for batters. Latham and Devon Conway added steadily to their overnight stand, but Conway fell for 44 when he cut a loose ball straight to point. Soon after, Justin Greaves tested Kane Williamson with sharp bowling, and Kemar Roach dismissed him just before lunch. At that stage, New Zealand’s lead was only 164.

West Indies then failed to make further breakthroughs for a long time. They missed two big chances to remove Ravindra early Roach dropped him on 8 and substitute Kavem Hodge spilled a catch at slip when he was on 13. Ravindra made the most of those lifelines, while West Indies’ bowlers lost energy as the day went on. Johann Layne struggled badly, giving away 80 runs in 13 overs. Ravindra raced to a fifty off just 52 balls, while Latham calmly reached his 14th Test century by tea. By then, the pair had added 133 runs at a fast pace.

After tea, New Zealand’s lead quickly crossed 300. Ravindra smashed three boundaries in two overs to reach his fourth Test hundred off 107 balls. With both batsmen settled, the scoring rate picked up even more. By the time the second new ball was taken, New Zealand were already 400 ahead, with Ravindra overtaking Latham’s score.

Roach finally ended the stand by dismissing Latham with an inswinger, while Ravindra fell later to a surprise yorker from Ojay Shields. But even with those late wickets, New Zealand added 184 runs in the final session, leaving West Indies facing an almost impossible challenge.