KL Rahul brings up his 19th first-class hundred on Day 1 of ENG-L vs IND-A 2nd unofficial Test [Watch]
India A opener KL Rahul smashed his 19th first-class century on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test against England Lions. The game is taking place on Friday, June 6, at Northampton’s County Ground.
The 33-year-old began cautiously, scoring just eight runs from his first 25 deliveries. Once settled, he found his rhythm and brought up his fifty off 102 balls. The right-hander then shifted gears, accelerating the scoring rate and reaching his century off 151 balls with a single.
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KL Rahul went on to score 116 off 168 balls, including 15 fours and a maximum. His dismissal left India A at 252/5 after 61.2 overs.
Meanwhile, heading into this match, the Karnataka batter had featured in 104 first-class games, amassing 7,331 runs at an average of 42.62, including 36 fifties and 18 centuries.
KL Rahul departs after a century as India A lose half their side against England Lions
England Lions skipper James Rew won the toss and opted to field first. India A’s opening pair, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, put together a steady 28-run partnership from 41 balls before Chris Woakes ended the stand by trapping the latter lbw for 17, which included two boundaries.
India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran had a disappointing outing, falling for 11 off 13 balls. Rahul then teamed up with Karun Nair, and the pair stitched together a solid 86-run stand off 139 balls for the third wicket. Nair contributed 40 off 71 balls, including four boundaries, before becoming Woakes' third victim of the day.
Dhruv Jurel walked in at No. 6 and forged another valuable partnership with Rahul. The duo added 121 runs off 159 balls before Jurel was dismissed for a well-made 52 off 87 deliveries, hitting seven fours. During the stand, Rahul brought up his 19th first-class century and eventually scored 116 off 168 balls before being dismissed, leaving India A at 252/5.
At the time of writing, India A were 253/5 after 62 overs, with Nitish Reddy (0) and Shardul Thakur (1) at the crease.