Watch: KL Rahul stamped his arrival in international cricket with his first Test century in just his second Test, against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rahul made his Test debut in the third Test of the 2014-15 Border Gavaskar series in Melbourne after having scored mountains of runs in domestic cricket. However, his debut didn’t go to plan as he ended up getting dismissed for three and one in the first and second innings respectively.
More than the scores, it was the manner of his dismissals that raised questions. He got out to loose shots in both innings, playing an expansive sweep and top-edging it in the first, and miscuing a pull in the second.
It could have dented his confidence, especially for someone from the subcontinent making his international debut in a foreign territory as hostile as Australia. But Rahul showed what he was made of in the next game.
Australia batted first in the fourth Test in Sydney and put on a massive 572-7, par for the course in that series. India backed Rahul after his twin failures in Melbourne and gave him his preferred opening spot.
Rahul seemed to have learnt his lesson from the previous game and was much calmer as he started his third innings in Test cricket. He had made it to the international level on the back of his solid technique and compact game and he trusted in that. His first boundary came off the 35th delivery he faced, pulling Josh Hazlewood behind square for four.
Rahul stitched a 97-run second-wicket partnership with Rohit Sharma followed by a 138-run third-wicket partnership with Virat Kohli. He displayed impressive levels of concentration and discipline and never once looked out of control, contrary to his first two innings in Test cricket.
The fact that he reached three figures off the 253rd delivery he faced was a testament to his patience and discipline, especially with the likes of Rohit and Kohli going about their business in their typical expansive manner at the other end.
He finally got out for 110 to another pull shot which he tried to fetch from outside off, this time off Mitchell Starc, only managing to top-edge it and hand an easy return catch to the bowler.
India finished their first innings on 475, trailing the Aussies by 97 runs. The hosts then took the attack to the Indian bowlers, scoring 251-6 at more than six runs per over, giving India a target of 349. The match eventually ended in a draw with the visitors finishing on 252-7.
