KL Rahul (101; 137b, 14x4, 1x6) unfurled a classy, controlled hundred in difficult conditions in
Centurion on Wednesday. It’s not just about Rahul stealing the hearts of Indians fans with his
seventh Test hundred away from home — he has got just one at home in 25 innings — or
becoming the first non-South African to get two Test tons in Centurion, or scoring his second
successive ton at SuperSport Park. This innings was characterized by his alertness.

For example, Rahul stole a bye in the 66th over of India’s innings under the nose of SA
wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne. Rahul, who is keeping in Test cricket for the first time, observed
that the rival specialist keeper, a veteran of 74 first-class games, is passing on the ball to the slip
cordon without looking at the batters.
Rahul started his run from the non-striker’s end when the ball was released from Gerald
Coetzee’s hands. And by the time the slip could react to a passed ball from Verreynne, he had
reached the striker’s end for a bye. Of course, Rahul’s idea was to get debutant Prasidh Krishna
off strike for the remaining three balls of the over.

Rahul has picked himself up well after the heartbreaking loss in the World Cup final against
Australia in Ahmedabad last month. He has scored 56 and 21 (in ODIs) and 101 (Test) on this
tour of South Africa.
Batting overnight on 70, Rahul embellished his hundred with an off driven four and a six off
Kasigo Rabada over deep square leg. When Coetzee and South Africa tried to deny him a single
off the last ball of the over by bringing the fielders closer, he jumped from 95 to 101 with a six
over widish long-on. He scored at 4.4 per over, the rest of India batters at 2.9.
Sunil Gavaskar, who held a Test record of 34 hundreds, rated Rahul’s hundred among the top-10
tons by Indian batsmen. If Rahul is that great a batsman, why is he averaging less than 35 in Test
cricket? Because extraordinary contributions are bigger in value — like that stolen bye — not in
math. Even a great like VVS Laxman would average less than 40 in his Test career if we don’t
deduct his 34 not outs from his total innings.
Forget the numbers, just enjoy Rahul’s elegance. The way he watches the ball and plays it late.
His ability to late cut spinners, and the dynamism of his pull shots. Former India coach and
commentator Ravi Shastri said during a TV broadcast: “Rahul has cemented his place in the
middle order whether he continues to keep wickets or not.”
(With inputs from agencies)