Aspiring Black Cap on road to recovery
Barely two months ago, Rachin Ravindra was assisted off the Basin Reserve in agony, cradling his wrenched right shoulder.
On Saturday, one of the country’s most promising cricketers will make a comeback at the same venue for Wellington in Plunket Shield, and potentially push for a berth in an extended
20-strong Black Caps tour squad for England and the World Test Championship final in June.
Initially it looked bleak for the
21-year-old batsman and left-arm spinner, when he dived for a ball in the field and fell awkwardly in the Twenty20 Super Smash match against Canterbury on January 25.
It was a repeat of the right shoulder dislocation he suffered four years ago when at Hutt International
Boys’ School, which required surgery. This time the initial prognosis from an MRI scan was another date with surgeon Robert Rowan to fix a torn labrum (shoulder cartilage), and most of the year on the sidelines.
‘‘At the time I thought ‘oh no’. It looked like nine months out with surgery and will I make next season? It’s a good outcome.’’
The good outcome was rehabilitation, after they consulted and devised a strengthening programme under the guidance of Firebirds physio Nishil Shah, after Ravindra sat in the dugout and watched his team-mates win the Super Smash title.
Last Sunday, Ravindra made his comeback, with the shoulder strapped, and was back in the groove when clouting 84 off 55 balls for his Hutt District club. Painfree, too.
‘‘It’s exciting because I love playing cricket and it was a tough few months not being able to. Injuries happen but it’s not great. You spend time away from the game and realise how much you miss it, being around the lads.’’
So it’s all on for Saturday’s seventh round shield match against Northern Districts at the Basin.
Since his days with New Zealand Under-19 side, Ravindra was tipped as a Black Cap-in-waiting and scored 70 on first-class debut against Pakistan A in Dubai, in October 2018 at age 18.
Former New Zealand batting coach Peter Fulton, asked last July to rate his batsmen to watch, went for Devon Conway, Will Young, Finn Allen – all now internationals – and Ravindra.