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Day 3 of the 1st Test between New Zealand and the West Indies belonged unequivocally to the home side. Continuing their relentless pursuit of a mammoth first-innings lead, New Zealand finished the day on a commanding 417/4, boasting a massive lead of 481 runs. The day’s narrative was dominated by two stellar performances: a classic, composed century from opener Tom Latham and a dazzling, career-defining knock from the young Rachin Ravindra, whose partnership broke the spirit of the visiting attack. With the West Indies struggling to take wickets, New Zealand has now placed itself firmly in a position to push for victory over the final two days.
Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra lead the rout with stunning centuries
The cornerstone of New Zealand’s innings was the immense partnership between Latham and Ravindra. The Black Caps skipper, known for his gritty temperament, anchored the innings brilliantly, scoring a flawless 145. He blended watchful defense with selective aggression, ensuring the West Indies bowlers could never settle into a rhythm.
However, it was the explosive flair of Ravindra that truly illuminated Hagley Oval. The young all-rounder showcased why he is considered one of New Zealand’s brightest prospects, batting with maturity and fluency. His brilliant knock of 176 was filled with elegant drives and powerful strikes, accelerating the scoring rate dramatically throughout the middle session. The partnership between the two accumulated hundreds of runs, effectively grinding the West Indies’ bowling unit into the dust and turning a good score into an insurmountable one.
West Indies’ bowling attack fails to fire
For the tourists, it was a long, painful day in the field. After showing brief flashes of promise earlier in the match, the West Indies bowlers lacked the penetration and consistency needed to challenge world-class batting on a flat pitch. The pacers looked weary, and the spin options were ineffective, leading to a shortage of genuine wicket-taking opportunities.
While a couple of wickets eventually fell late in the day, providing minor respite, the damage was already done. The inability to stem the flow of runs or create consistent pressure allowed the New Zealand batsmen to build massive partnerships at will, putting the West Indies under enormous mental strain.
Also READ: NZ vs WI 2025, Test Series: Schedule, Squads, Broadcast and Live Streaming details
The mammoth lead and declaration looms
New Zealand’s decision-making on Day 4 will be the next crucial chapter. With a lead of 481 runs and six wickets still in hand, a declaration is expected early in the morning session. The goal will be to give their bowlers ample time—likely two full days—to dismiss the West Indies twice.
Here’s how fans reacted:
A stunning knock from Rachin Ravindra and he brings up his 4th Test Century 🙌
📸 =
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS)
RACHIN RAVINDRA HEROICS IN THE TEST AGAINST WEST INDIES.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)
A rock-solid innings from Tom Latham & Rachin Ravindra against West Indies in the 1st Test 💥
— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
• Rachin Ravindra has 4 Test hundreds, all against different teams:
South Africa
India
Zimbabwe
West Indies*• Rachin Ravindra has 5 ODI hundreds, all against different teams:
England
Australia
Pakistan
Bangladesh
South Africa— All Cricket Records (@Cric_records45)
Rachin Ravindra dismissed 176 Runs In 185 Balls
– Rachin Ravindra what a Bating 176 Runs With 27 Fours , 1 Sixes Strike Rate 95.14
— Sahil Singhadiya (@SahilSinghadiya)
HUNDRED FOR RACHIN RAVINDRA. 💯
Rachin Scored a magnificent Hundred in just 108 balls against West Indies in this Test Match, His 4th Test hundreds – What a brilliant Hundred by Rachin Ravindra.
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh)
Best youngster of this generation. Already great in ODIs and Tests. He just needs to crack T20Is once he does, no one will come close. He will create hundreds of records.
Rachin Ravindra,the Great Talented Batsman ⚡
— Rachin hype (@PriyaSoul1407_)
Most 150+ scores for New Zealand in Tests before turning 27 years old :-
5 – Kane Williamson
4 – Tom Latham
3* – RACHIN RAVINDRA
3 – Martin Crowe
3 – Mathew Sinclair— Rhitankar Bandyopadhyay (@_rhitankar_)
Tom Latham scoring a 100 at home to the West Indies after doing nothing against India and England is very on brand.
— Tom O'Neil (@thomasjameoneil)
6000 Test runs for Thomas William Maxwell Latham.
One of the greatest Test openers of this generation 🐐🙌
— Sweet (@Lommy0Tatham)
Tom Latham became the fifth New Zealand player to scored 6K Test runs
Congratulations! 👏
— Kiwis Cricket fans 🇳🇿 (@Kiwiscricketfan)
Captain Tom Latham 🫡
— ⚡ (@Visharad_KW22)
Tom Latham has gone past John Wright for the most test runs scored as an opener in NZ. He's done it in 76 innings. Wright took 78.
— Michael Wagener (@Mykuhl)
I suppose it's impressive for Tom Latham to score his 14th test century
— Renee (@rencarrot)
Tom Latham is probably the best test opener of this generation.
— Reynolds (@Allison_Reyonds)
