KL Rahul hits home century: 100* in 192 balls on Day 2 of the 1st Test vs West Indies at Narendra Modi Stadium
Key partnership with Shubman Gill, who scored 50 off 100 balls
11th Test century, second at home; now has 10 as an opener, surpassing Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir
KL Rahul put on a masterclass at the crease, guiding India to a commanding position with a brilliant century on Day 2 of the 1st Test against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, 3 October.
From the very first ball of IND vs WI first Test Day 2, Rahul looked in complete control, combining patience with well-timed aggression to keep the scoreboard ticking while handling the early challenges posed by the West Indies bowlers.
Resuming on 53, Rahul waltzed to his 11th Test hundred in 190 balls, racing past 200 as India responded to the West Indies’ first-innings total of 162.
The milestone was only his second century at home, ending a long home-century drought; his last hundred on Indian soil had come in December 2016 against England in Chennai, when he recorded a career-best 199.
This innings also took Rahul’s tally as a Test opener to 10 centuries, surpassing former captain Rohit Sharma and current head coach Gautam Gambhir, who each have nine hundreds at the top. Among Indian openers, only Sunil Gavaskar (33), Virender Sehwag (22), and Murali Vijay (12) have recorded more centuries in Test cricket.
With Rahul anchoring the innings, India look well poised for a big total, having laid a solid foundation for the middle order to build on. His century not only put India in control but also sent a clear message of intent to the West Indies bowlers, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
He also built a solid partnership with Shubman Gill, who scored a patient 50 off 100 balls before falling, providing the perfect platform for Rahul to accelerate.
This hundred comes after Rahul’s first First-Class century in India since the 2016 Chennai Test, an unbeaten 176 that helped India A chase down 412 against Australia A at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow last week.
