Indian opener KL Rahul on Sunday scored a century on the opening day of the second Test against England. Rahul scored his hundred off 202 balls. His innings was studded with 9 boundaries and one six. 

Rahul ended day 1 unbeaten on 127 having faced 248 balls. He has scored five Test hundreds before this but he would certainly cherish this one purely on the basis of how he planned and executed this innings of precision and high calibre.

The shot that put his name on the prestigious ‘Lord’s Honours Board’ was a back cut off Mark Wood towards third-man to complete the hundred. As if to celebrate his hundred, there was a picturesque cover drive off Ollie Robinson and a back-foot punch off James Anderson when the second new ball was taken. In all, Rahul hit 12 fours and a six.

Earlier on Thursday, Rohit Sharma missed out on his first overseas hundred. Sharma blended caution with aggression en route 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 into half, ending Rohit’s dreams of a maiden Test hundred in a SENA country.

Rahul, whose innings during the first session and a half was about grit quotient, took charge once Rohit left after the 126-run opening stand.

Both Rohit and Rahul battled their minds to leave most of the deliveries on the ‘fourth off-stump’ channel. Both didn’t fiddle much with those incoming deliveries and knew where their off-stump was and covered the swing.

If Rohit left it alone at times not offering any stroke, Rahul would present a dead bat but keep it close to his body, which ensured that he negated the maximum chance of getting a nick.