India's KL Rahul shines again in Centurion: Key stats
What's the story
Batter KL Rahul was India's guiding light on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. He slammed a crucial half-century as a searing pitch and overcast conditions thwarted India on a rain-curtailed day. Only 59 overs of play was possible as India managed 208/8 at stumps. Rahul, who returned unbeaten, eyes his eighth Test ton.
Knock
A solid knock from Rahul
Rahul arrived as India were reduced to 92/4 after SA elected to field. He soon lost Virat Kohli at the other end, with India reaching 100. Rahul stitched crucial partnerships with R Ashwin and Shardul Thakur to take India past 160. Despite losing partners, Rahul showed resilience on a sturdy pitch. He returned unbeaten on 70 off 105 balls (10 fours and 2 sixes).
Twitter Post
WATCH: Rahul reaches his fifty with a maximum
THAT moment when @klrahul got to his half-century in Centurion. 🙌🏽 #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/6O6jibCJMk
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 26, 2023
Fifty
A look at his career stats
Rahul, who made his Test debut in 2014, has raced past 2,700 runs in the format. He has an average of 34.32. Rahul, who smashed his 14th Test fifty, has seven tons in the format. The Indian batter also went past 300 Test runs against South Africa in six games. The tally includes three 50+ scores.
Century
The last of Rahul's seven Test tons
Interestingly, the last of Rahul's seven Test tons came during the 2021/22 Boxing Day Test in South Africa, which India won. He reached the three-figure mark on the opening day. Rahul recorded the highest individual Test score by an Indian opener in SA (123). Wasim Jaffer is the only other Indian opener to have scored a Test century in the Rainbow Nation.