KL Rahul ended a nine-year wait for a home Test century as the opener reached three figures on Day 2 of the first Test between India and the West Indies in Ahmedabad. Rahul brought up his hundred off 190 deliveries in the first session on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The 32-year-old unveiled a new celebratory gesture after ending a 3,211-day drought for a hundred in home conditions in red-ball cricket. He removed his helmet, raised his bat towards the dressing room to acknowledge the applause, and then put two fingers in his mouth, seemingly sending a message to his newborn daughter, Evaarah.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir was visibly delighted, applauding alongside the rest of the support staff. Chants of “KL Rahul, KL Rahul” echoed around the ground, despite the stands being far from full.
Before Friday, Rahul’s last home century came against England in December 2016 in a Test where Karun Nair scored his famous triple hundred. The opener has been in sensational form. He scored two hundreds in India’s 2-2 draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, finishing the five-Test series with 532 runs at an average of over 50 runs per innings.
The red-soil pitch in Ahmedabad has not been the easiest to bat on. While the West Indies folded for 162 in their first innings, India have shown the way, taking their time to keep the scoreboard ticking.
The red soil pitch in Ahmedabad has not been the easiest for batting. West Indies folded for 162 in their first innings, but India have managed to show the way, albeit taking their time to keep the scoreboard moving.
Rahul, showing remarkable composure at the crease, appeared to let out his emotions with the celebration, as though he had been waiting for this moment. He struck 12 boundaries en route to his century and remained unbeaten on 100 at lunch. India went into the interval at 218 for 3, already leading the West Indies by 56 runs in the first innings.
Earlier in the morning session, captain Shubman Gill reached his fifty before being dismissed by opposition skipper Roston Chase. Rahul, however, looked assured throughout, giving little away to the West Indies attack.
Rahul, however, threw it away right after lunch, getting out to left-arm pacer Jomel Warrican on 100.
Rahul has not had many opportunities to feature in home Tests. While he has played 43 matches overseas, he has had only 21 chances on home soil. His opportunities became even fewer after 2019, when Rohit Sharma cemented his place as India’s first-choice opener. Now, however, the Karnataka batter is expected to enjoy a longer run in the Test side, having finally found the consistency to match his talent.
