London: Stylish opener KL Rahul on Saturday became only the second India batter to score more than one century at the hallowed Lord’s, after yesteryear middle-order mainstay Dilip Vengsarkar.
Rahul reached the landmark with a single off Jofra Archer to covers right after the lunch break on the third day of the third Test against England.
However, Rahul was dismissed by off-spinner Shoaib Bashir immediately after getting to the three-figure mark, which was 10th overall in the game’s traditional format and ninth away from home.
Rahul, whose match-winning hundred was pivotal in India’s Lord’s victory during the 2021 series, was once again at his serene best, mixing class and gumption in equal measure to wear down England’s bowling attack.
It was a typically attritional start to Rahul’s innings as he remained watchful on the second day till stumps, working his way to 53*(113). With India losing three wickets, including the big scalps of Yashasvi Jaiswal and the in-form Shubman Gill, the onus fell on Rahul to control India’s innings. In the company of Rishabh Pant, the opener went about the rebuilding job with minimal fuss, playing each ball on its merit.
If the second day was more about attrition, Rahul upped the ante on the third day. It helped that Pant started with a bang from the start of play with two boundaries in Jofra Archer’s first over of the day. The left-hander’s aggression rubbed off on Rahul who played a much more positive brand of cricket on the third morning. There were some audacious pull and hook shots once England resorted to the short-ball ploy.
Whenever he got some chance to free his arms, Rahul ensured that he didn’t miss out as he cracked some delightful back foot cuts and punches to keep the scoreboard moving. Pant continued to be the aggressor but it was Rahul’s solidity that ensured that India were moving fluently ahead in the Test match. England didn’t seem like taking a wicket in the morning session, but eventually got lucky with the big scalp of Pant.
With barely a few minutes left to the lunch break, the vice-captain showed much more eagerness for Rahul to get his hundred before the break than the man himself. The result was a very risky single to cover where Ben Stokes gathered the ball to fire a direct hit at the bowler’s end, catching Pant well short. It was just the end England needed to the session and while Rahul got his hundred after lunch, he fell almost immediately to the off-spin of Shoaib Bashir. On the third day, Rahul faced 64 deliveries and scored 47 – a much brisker rate than on Day 2, but he fell at a time when he would have wanted to reset his mind for a bigger score.
Nevertheless, the opener’s composed ton ensured a strong foundation for India’s innings in their reply to England’s total of 387 although the visitors would have liked one of the two set batters to go deeper into the day.
