ENG vs IND, 2nd Test: KL Rahul Scores Sixth Test Hundred In Lord’s Masterclass

Indian opener KL Rahul scored his sixth Test century on Day 1 of the second Test against England at Lord’s. Rahul, who came into this Test on the back of a half-century in the first Test at Trent Bridge, added 126 runs with Rohit Sharma for the first wicket to give India a good start for the second time in this series. Rohit too looked poised for a hundred before he was bowled through the gate by a James Anderson ripper. Rahul soldiered on, though, and brought up his hundred in the final session off 212 balls. He remained unbeaten on 127 at Stumps as India finished Day 1 in a position of strength at 276 for 3.

After having started slowly, Rahul creamed England’s bowlers, including Anderson, through the off side for boundaries.

He drove through the covers and square of the wicket with equal panache after having brought up a 50 off 137 balls.

The highlights of his innings included a delectable square drive off Anderson in the third session and a straight six off Moeen Ali in the second as Rahul grew in confidence as the innings progressed.

Along with Rohit, Rahul took India unscathed to Lunch and then batted through the second session even as Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara fell to Anderson at the other end.

That brought skipper Virat Kohli, who did better than his first-ball duck in his only other outing in the series thus far, as Rahul approached a hundred in the extended final session.

Rahul moved to 98 with a beautiful cover drive off Mark Wood in the 76th over of the innings and calmly ducked out of the way of the bouncers that followed the boundary ball.

The batsman from Karnataka brought up his 100 with a cut shot off Wood for four behind point, reaching there off 212 balls with nine fours and one six.

This was Rahul’s second hundred in England and first at Lord’s as he got his name on the Lord’s Honours Board.

Kohli was dismissed in the final session but Rahul remained unbeaten till the end of the day’s play.