KL Rahul took 3211 days to score his second Test century on home soil, reaching three figures in 190 balls during the second day of the first Test against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday. Beginning the day on 53, Rahul continued his fluent batting in the first session and achieved the milestone with a single off Roston Chase in the 65th over of India’s innings.
This innings also saw Rahul set an unwanted record for the longest gap between two Test hundreds at home by an Indian player. The previous record belonged to former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who had a 2655-day gap between centuries from 2013 to 2021. Rahul’s previous hundred at home was against England at Chepauk in 2016. Additionally, he took 26 innings to reach his second home century, matching the achievements of Vijay Manjrekar, Polly Umrigar, Kapil Dev, and Ajinkya Rahane. Ashwin holds the record for the most innings between two home hundreds with 36, followed by Syed Kirmani with 32 and Chandu Borde with 27.
Rahul was eventually dismissed in the first over after lunch, caught by Justin Greaves at short extra-cover off the bowling of Jomel Warrican. He finished his innings on 100 from 197 balls, hitting 12 fours.
Rahul had earlier impressed during India’s tour of England, emerging as one of the team’s leading run-scorers. He accumulated 532 runs in 10 innings at an average of 53.20, including two centuries, two fifties, and a highest score of 137. Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel praised Rahul’s performance, stating that he carried forward his form from England and took responsibility when the team was going through a transition.
Ex-West Indies cricketer Daren Ganga also appreciated Rahul’s consistency, noting that clarity in his role and approach in the team has allowed him to excel. According to Ganga, Rahul’s classical style and the tempo he maintains at the crease help him perform at his best in Test cricket.