After having burst into international prominence earlier this season with his record trio of World Cup centuries in India, Rachin Ravindra's big breakthrough summer has continued with a mammoth maiden Test double century for the BLACKCAPS.
In just his fourth Test match since having debuted in India in late 2021, Ravindra has again shown his star quality.
The young left-hander left his previous Test best of 18 not out from six innings in the dust, with not only a century, but now a double century, in the BLACKCAPS' first home Test of the 2023/24 summer against South Africa.
Kane Williamson had already scored a century in his hometown Test match in Mount Maunganui before Ravindra emulated him, raising his bat for his first century yesterday - the pair sharing a monster 232-run partnership for the third wicket.
Ravindra had reached his maiden Test hundred from 189 balls in 280 minutes with 10 boundaries and a six.
Now he has doubled that, reaching his 200* on a sunny Bay of Plenty Monday afternoon from 340 balls in 499 minutes, with 21 boundaries and 1 six in all.
Ravindra stayed calm after Tom Blundell was caught when he was at the non-striker's on 199*. That brought Glenn Phillips to the middle at 391/5 - with the South Africans building some good pressure to slow the scoring rate down, and Phillips taking most of the strike for his first two overs.
But again Ravindra stayed composed, the fully engaged crowd clapping in the delivery every time Ravindra did get to face a ball, as Dane Paterson kept him on 199* for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally he found a single off Neil Brand, and Ravindra joined just three other BLACKCAPS in history - Martin Donnelly, Mathew Sinclair and Devon Conway - to convert a maiden Test ton into a maiden Test double ton.
The match is streaming live on TVNZ+ with live radio commentary on SENZ.
Ravindra would eventually be dismissed on 240 shortly before tea on the second day, the highest maiden double century by a New Zealander, and the highest score by any Test batter at Bay Oval.
