V Z VS SA: New Zealand won the first Test in Mount Maunganui by 281 runs on Wednesday, giving them a 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa could only manage 247 runs against a challenging total of nearly 500, with Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner riding roughshod, taking seven wickets between them.
However, Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra, who both scored century, laid the groundwork for victory.
Williamson scored a magnificent 118 in the first innings and another strong 109 in the second, becoming the fifth New Zealand batsman to get two century in a Test. Rachin, on the other hand, scored his first Test century and led New Zealand to a double tonne.
With so many excellent performances in one game, the commentators struggled to choose their Player of the Match. Rachin eventually won the award for his spellbinding batting, outperforming everyone else.
It feels nice to contribute to team victory in any form, especially given how difficult it is to be out there for four or five days and get the job done. It’ll grade this knock quite high because of the time we spent out there and the partnerships we formed for this victory,’ he remarked after receiving the award.
Rachin Ravindra will not split the MOM trophy with Kane Williamson.
Rachin and Williamson contributed 232 runs for New Zealand’s third wicket, helping the Kiwis recover from 39/2 to 271 when Ruan de Swardt made the breakthrough. But Rachin, 24, persevered and turned his century into a marathon knock. While Rachin praised Williamson for his quiet celebration, he refused to share his Player of the Match trophy with his captain.