KL Rahul completes his 11th Test century, only his second in India, guiding India to a strong position against West Indies in Ahmedabad. (Image Credit: Firstpost)
IND VS WI 1st Test: KL Rahul also reached a milestone on Day 2 of the 1st Test vs West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, scoring his 11th Test century with a calculated innings of 100+ runs. What's more interesting is that this is just his second century in India, underlining the problem he has faced throughout his career in converting starts at home.
India were at 212/3, having a 49-run lead when Rahul completed his century. Rahul's innings was the bedrock of India's position of strength, but Shubman Gill (50) supported him well. There were 36 runs from Yashasvi Jaiswal and 7 runs from young opener Sai Sudharsan before he was caught cheaply.
With the lower order remaining to bat, which consists of Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj, India will look to capitalize on Rahul's career-defining innings and register a strong score.
Rahul's innings showed patience, skill, and temperament. He achieved the milestone following a good partnership with Gill, scoring 12 fours in the process. This century not only establishes him as a pillar in India's batting line-up but also highlights his ability to adapt in varied conditions.
The completion of 11 Test centuries by Rahul is continuing to create a legacy at the middle-order spot. But the reality that this is just his second century in India indicates the comparative difficulty of subcontinental pitches as opposed to overseas, where he has been more successful.
Choosing to bat first, West Indies fought a losing battle against India's stringent bowling unit, falling for 162 in 44.1 overs. Mohammed Siraj (4/40) and Jasprit Bumrah (3/42) spearheaded the attack with vital breakthroughs, ably supported by spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/25) and Washington Sundar (1/9).
Shai Hope made the highest score of 26, while skipper Roston Chase scored 24, but the visitors could not forge any substantial partnerships, putting India in a dominating situation.
The synergy of Rahul's batting and India's dominance with the ball has seen the hosts continue to enjoy the initiative in the first Test.
