India got off to a flyer on day 1 of the second Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground, powered by a century by opener KL Rahul. India notched up 276/3 at stumps on day one.

Rohit Sharma missed out on his first overseas hundred. Sharma blended caution with aggression en route to his highest overseas Test score of 83.

After being put in to bat first, the Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul forged a 126-run stand. The partnership laid the foundations for India to put up a massive first-innings total. Sharma and Rahul negated the overcast conditions on a good batting surface during the visiting team’s first-century opening stand since the tour of 2007.

It needed a magic delivery from veteran James Anderson, who got a 43-over old Dukes to jag back viciously and literally cut the batsman in half, ending Rohit’s dreams of a maiden Test hundred in a SENA country.

Rahul took charge once Rohit left after the 126-run opening stand.

From defending impressively and paving his way to 20 from the first 100-odd deliveries faced, Rahul gave charge to Moeen Ali all of the sudden, surprising him with a hit over long-off for a six and cover-drove James Anderson.

The Indian cricketer patiently added another 117 runs with skipper Kohli (42 off 103 balls), who also looked like playing himself in before Ollie Robinson got his prized scalp at the fag end of the day with a regulation slip catch.

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Rahul has five Test hundreds to his name already, ultimately scoring 6 with this one that he would cherish on the basis of his planning and execution of this innings with precision and high calibre.

 As Mark Wood’s (16-1-66-0) deliveries were caressed to the boundary, the square drives seemed like he was still playing in Nottingham.