Ravindra 176, Latham 145 drive New Zealand into complete control

Rachin Ravindra in action (Getty Images)

Centuries from Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra underpinned New Zealand’s dominance on Day 3 in Christchurch, as the hosts turned a modest 64-run advantage into a towering lead that now feels insurmountable.

The pair’s 279-run third-wicket stand ensured that what promised to be a gripping day of Test cricket fell flat by the halfway stage. The West Indies merely went through the motions, sitting back and hoping for a declaration to bring some relief from being run ragged. It was New Zealand’s highest partnership against the West Indies since 1987, surpassing Martin Crowe and John Wright’s 241-run effort. Things could have been very different had the visitors caught better.

Ravindra’s innings began under a cloud of uncertainty. On 8, Kemar Roach grassed a sumptuous flick at midwicket as he flung himself at the ball one-handed. On 14, Kavem Hodge put down a regulation catch at slip, leaving Justin Greaves to bear the frustration of being the unlucky bowler twice in two overs. The charmed run continued when another thick outside edge flew over the slips on 17.

For the first half-hour after lunch, Ravindra appeared to be living on borrowed time. But once he survived that turbulent spell, the tentativeness gave way to assurance, and the elegance that defines his best batting was on full display. He raced to 176 before being knocked over late in the day by an Ojay Shields yorker.

By stumps, New Zealand had added 395 to lead by 481. For the record, the West Indies will now have to achieve the highest successful chase at Hagley Oval; 285 is the highest fourth-innings score ever chased at this venue.

Before Ravindra arrived, Devon Conway and Latham played out a solid first hour, focusing on crease occupation to lay a strong platform. Latham left well early on, while Conway displayed his artistry with early cover drives and on-drives.

Roach moved the ball away appreciably to trouble Conway, while Jayden Seales extracted lift off a length to have Latham looking scratchy in the early exchanges. The first 17 overs produced just 35 runs, with Latham surviving a thick edge that raced between second slip and gully on 29.

Conway settled in but was out slashing to deep point for 39, where Hodge took a superb catch while moving in from the rope. Initially off balance, he back-pedalled to complete the grab. One wicket became two when Roach removed Kane Williamson with a perfect outswinger.

Having got off the mark with a top-edge for six off Greaves, Williamson struggled against late movement before Roach dismissed him in the last over before lunch, with New Zealand effectively 164 for 2. The spell after lunch was arguably the West Indies’ best chance to make inroads, as they created chances routinely, only to put them down.

If the first session was about attrition, the second belonged to accumulation and seizing control. Ravindra moved into the 40s quickly and even found himself in a brief verbal exchange with Seales. The pair brought up their century stand off just 126 deliveries, with Ravindra’s enterprise allowing Latham to open up once he passed fifty.

Latham was particularly severe square of the wicket on both sides, cutting and pulling a tiring attack that continued to pound the ball in even as the surface lost much of the venom seen on the first two days. He brought up his century first, while Ravindra reached his with a pull through midwicket – his second successive hundred.

After passing three figures, and with the West Indies going defensive, Latham unveiled his more inventive side, employing scoops and paddles to collect boundaries. It appeared inevitable that the pair would bat through to stumps, but lapses in concentration saw them fall in back-to-back overs late in the day. Even so, the two wickets offered no real comfort for the West Indies, who now face an immense battle for survival. (ESPNcricinfo)