Following the ton, KL Rahul became the joint-second Indian batter to score the highest number of centuries outside Asia.
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Indian batter KL Rahul achieved a unique milestone when he scored a brilliant century in the second of the five-match Test series against England on Thursday. He gave India an incredible start thanks to a 126-run stand between himself and veteran batter Rohit Sharma. Rahul carried on his good form from the first Test in which he had scored 84 runs. This performance was even better. With the ton, he became the joint-second Indian batter to score the highest number of centuries outside Asia. He shares the position with Indian legend Virender Sehwag. Only Sunil Gavaskar, with 15 centuries outside Asia, is ahead of Rahul at the moment.
Rahul finished Day 1 of the Test match with an unbeaten 127 runs as India finished on a very strong score of 276-3 after the 90 overs. England skipper Joe Root had elected to field after winning the toss but it seems like his plan has completely backfired in front of the brilliance of the Indian opener. What makes his century even more impressive is the amount of time he took to do it. He has become the second-highest Indian batter to score centuries outside Asia in a matter of just 28 innings.
He is tied in second place currently with Virender Sehwag. The former cricketer has hit four centuries in Test cricket outside Asia as well, but it was achieved in 69 innings. Rahul, on the other hand, has done it in just 28. It will be difficult, however, to break Gavaskar’s record. The legendary batter had hit 15 centuries in 81 innings. That is a feat certainly worthy of a legend and it would take a very special player to reach that milestone. Hopefully, Rahul will be that one special player to do it.
That, however, is not the only record Rahul achieved thanks to his brilliant ton. The batter also became only the second Indian cricketer to score a century on Day 1 of a Test match outside Asia in which they had lost the toss. The only other person to have achieved that is Navjot Singh Siddhu. He had hit 116 runs against the West Indies at Kingston in 1989.
Rahul’s achievement is one that certainly deserves praise and Sehwag was one of the first people to have taken to social media to congratulate the opener. It is also historic for Rahul since his name will be forever written on the iconic honours board at Lords.
“Played second fiddle when Rohit Sharma was going great guns and then accelerated to score a wonderful century. Staying not out at close would have been as satisfying as scoring the hundred. Well done #KLRahul, many more today,” Sehwag said in a tweet.
Before the Test series had begun, Rahul was not even a first-choice player for the Indian side. He was looked at as a substitute if wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant was injured. He would have had to play in the middle-order and possibly not reached his true potential. After injuries to opener Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal, the coaches were left with no choice but to start him, and he has absolutely cemented his place in the Indian Test side for the time being.
