"Every Test hundred is very special" - KL Rahul downplays Lord's honors board achievement
KL Rahul, who recently became only the third Indian opener to have a Test hundred at the epochal Lord's Cricket Ground, has downplayed the achievement. Rahul admitted that getting his name on the honors board filled him with pride but added that every Test ton is special for him irrespective of the history of the venue.
KL Rahul's 250-ball 129 exemplified the approach required in English conditions. The right-hander took his time initially, playing second fiddle to Rohit Sharma. He broke the shackles after Sharma's dismissal and went on to anchor the innings with calculated aggression, hitting 12 boundaries and a six in the process.
"Not really (if there were flashbacks of watching the past games played here), to be honest. You know, every time you walk out on the pitch to play for your country you want to do well and score and given a good start when opening the batting. It was special once I stepped off the ground and once you see your name on the honors board you feel a sense of achievement, a sense of pride, which I had no different. Yeah, every Test hundred is very, very special, especially after coming back. In the couple of years that I have played Test cricket, and even before I got dropped, I got a few hundred, so a Test hundred is always special, and when it's at Lord's it becomes even better," KL Rahul said in reply to Sportkskeeda's query during a virtual press-conference on Friday.
KL Rahul's name was temporarily written on paper on the famed honors board, just below New Zealand's Devon Conway's on Thursday. This will likely be secured in gold soon, now that the batsman has completed his innings.
India build momentum on KL Rahul's foundation
Although KL Rahul could only add two runs to his overnight total on Friday, he did his job of laying the right foundation for his team's win. India ended the first innings with a substantial score of 364. In reply, the hosts stumbled to 119-3 at the end of Day 2 with India's four-pronged pace attack breathing fire.
Joe Root once again showed the most resistance from the English camp with a well-made 48. If Virat Kohli and co. can wear the Yorkshireman out without giving away too many runs, they will fancy a dominant win to take the lead in the five-Test series.