The Athletic has launched a Cricket WhatsApp Channel. Click here to join.The stylish back foot punch was caressed towards the same section of the Oval crowd that had been so unforgiving the day before.It was a shot off Sonny Baker that sped across the practice pitches towards the JM Finn Stand for four and served as Rachin Ravindra’s revenge for the ribbing, admittedly mostly good-natured, to which he had been subjected after lapsing, once again, in the field. A reminder of his class which exorcised what had been an underwhelming start to this Test series.It was timely, too, in the first Test since the shock decision by Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s greatest batter, to call time on his international career mid-series.While England’s turbulence since their victory in the first Test at Lord’s has been well documented, the equally significant absence of Williamson for New Zealand at the Oval has almost passed under the radar, as perhaps befits such an under-stated character. The retirement of New Zealand’s member of the ‘Fab four’ modern batting greats — along with Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith — has left a huge hole in the line-up of a side now lacking that sprinkling of world-class stardust to their top order.It is a hole that Ravindra is best qualified to fill.Rachin Ravindra oozed class at the Oval (David Rogers/Getty Images)The left-hander showed just how good he is — and can go on to be — on the third day in south London as New Zealand moved smoothly and inextricably towards what looks like a series-levelling win. Ravindra was full of classy strokes through the off-side and off his legs as he made 76 in a partnership of 161 with Henry Nicholls that has taken the second Test beyond an England side imploding in the wake of the enforced absence of their captain Ben Stokes.It was Nicholls who reached three figures, ending day three unbeaten on 119 in New Zealand’s 252-3 that gives them a lead of 352 — an advantage that leaves them perfectly placed to push for victory over the last two days. But it was Ravindra, 26 and eight years younger than Nicholls, who stood out as the Black Caps’ best chance of becoming that genuinely world-class replacement for Williamson.His 76 was not without good fortune — James Rew, who endured a torrid day behind the stumps, dropped him low to his left when he had only seven — but it was a sixth Test half-century to go with his five hundreds. He boasts 1,764 runs in 23 matches at this level at an average of 47.68. Moreover, he showcased the elegance at the crease that earmarked Ravindra as the next big thing of New Zealand’s batting the moment he made his Test debut five years ago.And which made his early performances with both bat and in the field in this series all the more inexplicable.This was the New Zealand batter’s first significant contribution of the series (David Rogers/Getty Images)Ravindra takes his Test cricket seriously, as demonstrated by his decision to leave his stint at the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Kolkata Knight Riders early to prepare for this series, unlike England’s IPL representatives Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell and Jordan Cox.