Analysis: Ravindra's World Cup ton a coming of age moment

Analysis: Rachin Ravindra's breathtaking century in the opening game of the Cricket World Cup against England is a coming of age moment that not only helped the Black Caps to victory, but has brightened the future of New Zealand cricket, writes 1News' Sean Nugent.

The 23-year-old's unbeaten 123 off 96 balls was dazzling. From booming drives to flashy cuts, graceful flicks to powerful pulls, Ravindra proved to be far too much for the defending world champions.

His first century for the national team came on the grandest stage, in foreign conditions, and in his first innings batting at No. 3 in ODI cricket, a spot usually reserved for injured skipper Kane Williamson.

Alongside him was long-time Wellington teammate Devon Conway, who blasted an unbeaten 152 off 121 and combined with Ravindra for a second-wicket stand of 273, New Zealand's second-highest partnership of all time and highest at a World Cup.

Speaking after the game, Ravindra said it was special to share the experience with Conway.

"It was pretty cool to share that with Devon, my good mate.

"Dev's an absolutely incredible and special player... it's special to share that moment with a guy I've spent a lot of time with the last five or six years."

Ravindra's long been touted as a future star for New Zealand cricket. You could even say he was born for it, given his name — Rachin — is a combination of the first names of India greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

He debuted for New Zealand under 19s at just 16 and made his first-class and one day debuts for New Zealand A rather than Wellington.

Black Caps debuts in T20s and Tests came when he was just 21, but he lost his place after some early struggles, leaving him to go work on his craft in domestic cricket.

While not dominant in last summer's Ford Trophy competition, a pair of centuries and impressive strike rate showed he was starting to make progress.

Fast forward to today, where he showed he had the technique, composure and confidence to succeed at the highest level.

Former South African seamer Dale Steyn said it was "gutsy" and was impressed by Ravindra's maturity and ability to play without fear on his World Cup debut.

The son of Indian immigrants, Ravindra said it was "pretty cool" to score his first international century in India with his parents watching on in the crowd. Not only were they watching, but so was his idol Tendulkar.

It would be fair to say that Black Caps coach Gary Stead had taken an uncharacteristic gamble throwing the youngster up the order given the stakes, the opposition, and Ravindra's relative inexperience.

Despite his obvious talent, Ravindra had yet to show his capabilities in a black shirt. In eight previous knocks, he'd managed to score just 189 runs at an average of 23.6.

But the numbers don't tell the full story. Ravindra, a genuine opening batsman, had been slotted down the order to play the role of finisher for the Black Caps. While clearly not his natural game, there were definitely moments where he showed his class, such as a 48-ball 61 against England last month in an innings where every other Kiwi batsman struggled.

Thrown a chance to open the batting in a warm-up game against Pakistan last week, Ravindra grabbed it with both hands, scoring 97 off just 72 balls.

Clearly that impressed Stead and the selection team, and throwing him in the deep end against England paid off in ways surely they couldn't have even dreamed of.

This question is an interesting one for New Zealand. Will Young was named in this squad to open the batting alongside Conway, while Williamson will automatically slot back into No. 3 when he is deemed fit enough to play.

Where does that leave Ravindra?

Given his century and Young's golden duck, Ravindra could be promoted to his natural spot as an opener. Then again, Young was unlucky to be strangled down the legside, and it would be extremely harsh for him to be dropped based off that.

It's still unknown when Williamson will return. He batted well although still looked ginger in the warm-up games, and had already been ruled out of playing against England. The Black Caps' next game comes against the Netherlands on Monday, and it would be safe to say he won't be risked in a game New Zealand is expected to easily win.

That gives Young and Ravindra another chance to fight it out for a spot at the top. Even so, Ravindra, who also contributes as a decent spin option, could be dropped down the order to accommodate both Young and Williamson at the top.

Whatever the decision going forward, it's not a bad headache to have.

Ravindra's outstanding performance means a lot more than just helping New Zealand win a game of cricket. It also shows there is at least some brightness for the future of the Black Caps.

The 23-year-old is just one of three players out of the 15 Black Caps at this tournament under the age of 30 (Mark Chapman is 29 and Glenn Phillips 26).

While the golden generation of New Zealand cricket has brought with it plenty of success, there is some concern there may be no one ready to take over the reins once the current stars bid farewell from the game.

Depth is always going to be an issue for a nation with such a small population of cricketers, and it has shown at times in the past 18 months when frontline players have been missing through injury or personal reasons.

With Ravindra lies at least some hope. Phillips too promises a long and fruitful career, while there are a few around the domestic game that could succeed at the next level.