NZ vs SA 2024: Kane Williamson lavishes high praise on 'class act' Rachin Ravindra

Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra stitched a 232-run partnership against South Africa at Bay Oval as hosts New Zealand posted 511 in the first innings against South Africa in the first Test.

Williamson hit his 30th Test century while the youngster Ravindra went on to convert his maiden Test ton into a double century. He looked phenomenal with the bat and remained calm in every situations as he ended up scoring 240.

Speaking about Ravindra’s "outstanding" innings, former Test skipper Williamson stated that the 24-year-old was class apart in the middle. He noted that Ravindra’s biggest strength is to remain calm and has the right temperament to excel in the longest format of the game. Williamson added that the South African bowlers did not give away too much but they were very focused in the middle, which gave them the desired result.

“Ravindra is simply a class act to watch from the other end. One of his biggest strengths is being very calm. He's clearly got the skills and the game as we've seen in ODIs, but to go through the gears here, in such a calm temperament, speaks volumes. Their bowlers weren't giving much away, so we had to keep each other focused,” Williamson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“We did a lot of groundwork and South Africa were extremely disciplined with the ball. It was quite difficult to use the pace on the surface, so we just wanted to up the run rate from a position of strength. I wasn't able to, which was frustrating, but other guys came in and went through the gears in the middle session,” he added.

Ravindra has looked very good at No. 4: Kane Williamson

Replacing Henry Nicholls in the playing XI, Ravindra justified the faith that the team management showed in him in the first Test against South Africa. Williamson added that the youngster looked very good at number four and mentioned that he has all types of shots in his bag, which makes him an extremely dangerous batter.

“Ravindra has looked very good at No. 4. He is a great stroke-maker, can play all shots and go through the gears. That's his style. He made the most of the opportunity. He's quite natural and is loving every moment. From a team's perspective, we're loving his attitude to move us forward,” the 33-year-old said.