'His Best Test Hundred': KL Rahul Brings Up His Century with a Six, Equals Kohli's Record in SA - WATCH

‘Sankat Mochan KL Rahul’ – that’s how Irfan Pathan acknowledged the Karnataka batter who scored the second consecutive hundred at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Playing for the first time as a wicketkeeper-batter, Rahul rescued India with a stupendous 101-run knock which included 14 boundaries and 4 sixes.

Rahul walked out to bat when India were 4 down for 92. While wickets kept tumbling at the one end, Rahul dropped anchor at the other and patiently dealt with the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee. After scoring an unbeaten 70 on Tuesday, Rahul returned to get his 8^th Test hundred with a cracking six off Coetzee.

IND vs SA 1st Test Day 2 Live

It was the 67^th over when the Proteas newbie bowled a fuller delivery. Batting on 95, Rahul cleared his front leg and smashed it over deep mid-wicket to notch another Test ton in South Africa.

“This is his best Test hundred,” said former head coach Ravi Shastri on air, who has seen this happening before.

Last time when Rahul got a hundred in South Africa, he batted as an opener. But he took up a new role this time – a wicketkeeper-batter in the middle order. He is now only the 5^th Asian batter to score multiple hundreds in South Africa. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar leads the chart with 5 tons while the likes of Mohammed Azharuddin, Thilan Samaraweera and Virat Kohli have scored 2 centuries each.

Hundreds by designated Indian wicketkeepers outside Asia

Rahul made it to an elite list of Indian wicketkeepers with Test centuries outside Asia. While Rishabh Pant has the most number of overseas tons – 4, the likes of Vijay Manjrekar, Ajay Ratra, Wriddhiman Saha, and KL Rahul have scored a century each.

India 245 all-out

India were all out for 245 in their first innings on the second day of the opening Test against South Africa here on Wednesday. Rahul’s knock came from 137 balls, adding 31 runs to his overnight 70 not out. India added 37 runs from 8.4 overs in the morning session. The visitors faced 67.4 overs in their first innings.

For South Africa, Gerald Coetzee and Nandre Burger took a wicket apiece on Wednesday. Kagiso Rabada had completed a five-wicket haul on the opening day on Tuesday.