IND vs SA 1st Test: Transforming into a brand new position in Test cricket, KL Rahul was the largest spotlight for India on a difficult Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test in opposition to South Africa in Centurion. Rahul, who’s enjoying as a wicket-keeper in Test cricket for the primary time, scored a chic unbeaten 70 to take India on even phrases with South Africa at 208/8 at stumps. His brilliance now sees him be a part of an elite list of Indian wicket-keepers with a special record outside India.Â
The opening Day of the Test noticed the combat to tooth and nail as each side seemed to stamp an early authority. With India being 107/5, Rahul took cost coming in at six to take India out of the precarious scenario. He performed South Africa’s most threatening bowler – Kagiso Rabada extraordinarily properly to convey up his fifty. Rahul’s knock now sees him becoming a member of the likes of MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant in a special record.Â
Rahul has change into solely the third Indian wicket-keeper to attain a fifty-plus knock outside India throughout all three codecs. Before him, solely Dhoni and Pant may have achieved the feat. Rahul has batted as a wicket-keeper in ODIs and T20Is earlier than and has fifty-plus knocks in each these codecs outside India. However, that is the primary time he’s enjoying as a wicket-keeper in Tests and bought to the milestone in the primary asking.Â
The 31-year-old got here in to bat at six when India had been at 92/4 after which shortly 107/5 with no recognised batter alongside him. In the corporate of bowling all-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur, he took India to 208 earlier than rain compelled early stumps in the ultimate session.Â
To begin with, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill fell cheaply earlier than a spirited fightback from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. The Kohli-Iyer pair racked a 68-run stand for the 4th wicket earlier than the latter fell, leaving India at 92/4 and Rahul coming in.
