Watch: KL Rahul impresses on Day 1 of England tour, slams hundred for India A in unofficial Test

KL Rahul made a statement ahead of the upcoming Test series against England after he slammed a hundred for India A in the second unofficial Test on Friday (June 7). Playing at the County Ground in Northampton, Rahul’s hundred comes at a crucial time for India as they look to fill in the void left by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who announced their retirement from the red-ball format in May. His hundred also propelled India to 319/7 at the closure of Day 1.

Rahul slams hundred for India A

Having missed the first unofficial Test due to Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments, Rahul scored his ton in the second session of Day 1. It took 151 balls for the Indian batter to make his mark on Day 1 of the England tour as he completed his ton. He was later dismissed by George Hill on 119 off 168 deliveries. His innings consisted of 15 fours and one six while he was striking a rate of almost 70.

Rahul was given a good helping hand by Dhruv Jurel (52) and Karun Nair (40) as they steered the Indian innings to a respectable total.

Interestingly, with Rahul opening the innings, the Indian management has clearly hinted at him being used in the role when the series begins on June 20.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (17) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (11), however, failed to make the most as they departed cheaply. Later Nitish Kumar Reddy(34) and Shardul Thakur (19) tried helping the Indian team reach 300 in the challenging conditions of Northampton.

India tour of England 2025

1st Test: 20 June to 24 June, Headingley, Leeds

2nd Test: 2 July to 6 July, Edgbaston, Birmingham

3rd Test: 10 July to 14 July, Lord's, London

4th Test: 23 July to 27 July, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

5th Test: 31 July to 4 August, Kennington Oval, London