&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium)
Over the years, many batters have opened the batting for India in Test but none have been as effective as Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag or Murali Vijay if the numbers are to be looked at. Now, Rahul is reaching at the same level after a long span of stop-and-go career.
KL Rahul has found his form and that too in some style. He was given the slot of opening for four of five Tests in Australia during Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 before being made a permanent opener on the England tour after Rohit's retirement. He did well in England, scoring 532 runs in 10 innings and hitting two tons as well as two fifties. He was India's second best batter behind skipper Shubman Gill (754 runs). The batter now has scored a ton in first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad, making him only the fourth Indian opener to score 10 or more Test hundreds.
Over the years, many batters have opened the batting for India in Test but none have been as effective as Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag or Murali Vijay if the numbers are to be looked at. Now, Rahul is reaching at the same level after a long span of stop-and-go career.
Gavaskar scored 33 Test tons as opening batter for India in 203 innings, Sehwag managed 22 in 168 innings, Vijay hit 12 in 100 innings and now Rahul has reached the double-figure mark as well. The ton in Ahmedabad Test against West Indies was Rahul's 10th as opener in Tests for India in just 94 innings.
India were in full control on day 2 (Oct 3) of the Ahmedabad Test, thanks to Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja. After Rahul fell on team score of 218, Jurel and Jadeja joined the forces and added 206 runs for the fifth wicket. In the process, Jurel scored his maiden Test ton. Jurel was dismissed for 125 in dying moments of the day. Soon after, Jadeja scored his sixth Test hundred as well as India's lead swelled near to 300.