BENGALURU, India — On the third day of the first test, Rachin Ravindra marked a notable achievement by scoring his first test century on Indian territory, contributing significantly to New Zealand’s first-innings total, which now stands at a strong 299-run lead.

As the lunch break approached, Ravindra was at an impressive 104 runs off 131 deliveries, helping his team reach a score of 345-7 after 81 overs. Alongside him, fast bowler Tim Southee was close to reaching his half-century, remaining not out at 49. The two have formed a resilient partnership, adding 112 runs for the eighth wicket, much to the dismay of the Indian bowlers.

India faced a significant setback on the second day when they were dismissed for just 46 runs, marking the lowest test score ever recorded at home. The first day of the match was completely lost to heavy rainfall.

It’s worth noting that Rishabh Pant did not play on Friday due to a knee injury he sustained the previous day; as a safety precaution, he was not included in the squad, leading to Dhruv Jurel stepping in as the substitute wicketkeeper.

India currently tops the World Test Championship standings, and a sweep of this series against New Zealand would virtually guarantee their place in the final at Lord’s scheduled for next June. Recently, India has also secured a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh.

New Zealand, on the other hand, has had a challenging and lengthy tour of the subcontinent. Their journey began with a disrupted test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, India, which was abandoned due to rain, followed by a disappointing 2-0 series defeat in Sri Lanka.

The series continues with the second test set to take place in Pune starting October 24, with the final match scheduled in Mumbai from November 1.