Rachin Ravindra will have a bigger role to play for New Zealand during their tour of India in October than he did while receiving his Test cap, as a spinning all-rounder, three years ago in the sub-continent.

His batting has gained more prominence since then as he has been promoted to the top order. But facing the Indian bowlers, especially on a spin-friendly track, can always be challenging.

So, he has been training at his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings’ High-Performance Center along with his compatriot and fast bowler Ben Sears, to adjust to the conditions in the sub-continent.

“It’s been a great few days here in Chennai, being able to acclimatise ourselves in terms of the red and black soil pitches that we might face,” Ravindra said.

“When you look at how the guys from the subcontinent bat, they hold their shape for longer in the lower positions they get into. As cricketers from the western side, we are still trying to incorporate that into our spin games,” he added.

However, Ravindra already knew a thing or two about facing the Indian spinners, as he kept them at bay during his last-wicket partnership with Ajaz Patel in 2021.

The all-rounder wishes to take his skills a notch higher in the much-awaited Test series as he wants to give the hosts a run for their money.

“I think it will always be difficult when you play India in a three-match Test series. It shows how good they are as a team, especially in the red-ball format at home.

“It’s going to be tough, and we will look to take the stuff that we learned from the last series here. They are a world-class team for a reason, and hopefully, we can give them a run for their money,” added Ravindra.

Rachin and Sears were a part of New Zealand’s camps in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and another camp in Christchurch and Lincoln before heading to India.

Their next challenge awaits them in Noida when they take on Afghanistan in the one-off Test, starting from Monday.