🏏Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #11: New Zealand vs Bangladesh 🏏 - Page 8

Who is Rachin Ravindra?

A story in Wellington cricket circles goes that one morning, Cricket Wellington’s youth development coach Ivan Tissera tagged a 10-year-old boy to the Hutt Recreation Ground in Lower Hutt Wellington for a nets session with the U-15s. The boy, barely four and a half feet, was asked to pad up against Henry Walsh, a nearly six-foot tall left-arm seamer, then touted as the next big thing in Wellington cricket. Walsh’s parents grumbled over their son having to bowl at a nine-year-old. But in barely 20 minutes, they were wondering why their son was being subjected to this humiliation by a boy who was just a little taller than the stumps. He not only batted emphatically but unpacked an array of strokes that left the spectators stunned.

Among the marveled audience were then international cricketers Grant Elliot and Matthew Bell, who wondered whether he was “Sachin” or “Rachin”! The story is unverified, like most myths, but Rachin Ravindra always made a buzz, not only with his portmanteau name after the two legends of Indian cricket, but with his range of strokes too. So when Sriram Krishnamurthy took over as Wellington Firebirds’ batting coach, he wondered why there was a 15-year-old cricketer with them in the extended squad. “Then I watched him bat and I realised why he was there,” he recounts to this paper. “He had more strokes than any 15-year-old and was clearly mature beyond his years. Little wonder that there was always a buzz around him,” he says.

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Callum: "Really disappointed to see NZ continue to ignore Sodhi, especially on one of the most spin friendly pitches in India. He's going to need some gametime soon, as with the used pitches, he should be extremely important later in the tournament. Can't do anything if we refuse to play him though. " Mark makes a similar comment as well.

Aman Bansal: "Those blaming spectators should come and try to see the match in blazing hot heat. That too for visiting teams. I can bet this world cup will be the most followed world cup by the time the final numbers come out." Why blame spectators? It's more an issue circling around administration and organisation, isn't it, Aman?

Tanzid gets another chance up top for Bangladesh. Shakib and birthday boy, Litton Das, offer experience along with Mushfiqur. Mahmullah returning extends their batting line-up. Taskin and Shoriful are likely to take the new ball. Shakib, Mehidy the spinners. The Fizz can bowl pretty much anywhere.

Siva Donepudi: "Why Towhid Hridoy is being selected in every match? is he contributing well? " He has decent technique and is a potential-based selection to some extent. But his novelty, around Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah, could help. (Cricinfo commentator)

Callum: "Really disappointed to see NZ continue to ignore Sodhi, especially on one of the most spin friendly pitches in India. He's going to need some gametime soon, as with the used pitches, he should be extremely important later in the tournament. Can't do anything if we refuse to play him though. "

Trent Boult: Nice to have 4 points on the board, lot of cricket to be played. Boys have prepared well and a huge challenge for us this afternoon. World Cup always brings a lot of excitement to the team, different conditions today, big challenge. We have been lucky with the bat so far, guys at the top are doing a great job and they understand these conditions very well. Everyone knows my game plan that I like to pitch the ball up and get the ball moving in the air. The biggest challenge when you come to India is the conditions you face across the country and how different it can be from North and the South. As a bowler you gotta try and find a gameplan that can combat that, hopefully got some tricks up my sleeve.

Just over a week into the World Cup, and five-time World champions Australia are looking down the barrel with two successive defeats. We don't say that too often about the Aussies, do we? Their Antipodean neighbour, however, are absolutely flying high at the moment. A 9-wicket win, followed by a 99-run win. New Zealand couldn't have asked for a better start to their campaign, surely. A win today will take them to the top of the table and what's even more exciting is the return of their skipper, Kane Williamson. Their opponents, Bangladesh, are coming on the back of a 137-run loss against England and would hope for a spin-friendly surface to make the most of the conditions

Originally posted by: Ocean_breeze

Conway loyalty intact🙈

Trent Boult: Nice to have 4 points on the board, lot of cricket to be played. Boys have prepared well and a huge challenge for us this afternoon. World Cup always brings a lot of excitement to the team, different conditions today, big challenge. We have been lucky with the bat so far, guys at the top are doing a great job and they understand these conditions very well. Everyone knows my game plan that I like to pitch the ball up and get the ball moving in the air. The biggest challenge when you come to India is the conditions you face across the country and how different it can be from North and the South. As a bowler you gotta try and find a gameplan that can combat that, hopefully got some tricks up my sleeve.