Cricket: Rachin Ravindra 'relishing every minute' as Blackcaps begin preparations at Lord's

Blackcaps youngster Rachin Ravindra is taking in cricket's spiritual home, as the New Zealand side began their preparations at Lord's for the first test against England starting on Wednesday.

On his first tour with the Blackcaps, 21-year-old Ravindra was picked after some eye-catching performances with bat and ball for Wellington and New Zealand A over the home summer.

Capable of opening the batting as well as offering Kane Williamson a handy left-arm spin option with the ball, Ravindra did his chances no harm in the hunt for a potential test debut, as the Blackcaps warmed-up for their tour of England with an intrasquad fixture in Southampton.

On day one, Ravindra claimed figures of 2/39 with the ball, dismissing teammates Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson. 

But if that wasn't enough, Ravindra impressed with the bat on day two, scoring an unbeaten 60 runs against an attack containing the likes of Henry, Jamieson, Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme and Ajaz Patel - all fully fledged internationals.

Ravindra's efforts will certainly see him in the conversation for a place in the Blackcaps' playing XI come the first ball on Wednesday night, eyeing a debut at the home of cricket - Lord's. 

"It's incredible," Ravindra says of his time with the Blackcaps. "At the end of the day, if the opportunity comes - amazing. If it doesn't, that's fine.

"I'm still relishing every single minute I get to be in this prestigious place. I'm just loving being around the lads."

Playing at Lord's also comes with the potential chance to get on the famous honour's board. 

Any player who either scores a century or takes five or more wickets has their name etched into the ground's history, with Ravindra not taking long to eye up some of his heroes' achievements.

"I loved watching lots of cricket growing up, and especially here. You walk into the changing room and see players I've idolised score hundreds and on the honours board.

"Like [Kumar] Sangakkara, [Rahul] Dravid... I guess it gives me chills. They were here and they did all that out on that special ground.

"I saw Sangakkara's, [Shane] Warne's, [Sachin] Tendulkar's, Viv Richards is my dad's favourite player. It's surreal to wrap my head around the magnitude of this ground, and how many greats have walked through these halls."

The Blackcaps test series begins at Lord's on June 2 and finishes at Birmingham's Edgbaston from June 10, before the World Test Championship final against India on June 18.