India secured a comprehensive 113-run victory over South Africa in the first Test in Centurion to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The Virat Kohli-led India wrapped the year with its fourth overseas victory in 2021 and the team will aim to capitalize on it with a maiden series win in South Africa.
One of the key reasons behind India's stellar win was the century innings from opener KL Rahul, who was also named the vice-captain of the Test side in absence of the newly-appointed player in the role, Rohit Sharma. Rahul scored 123 in the first innings of the Test as India reached 324, and eventually secured a 130-run lead which proved key to the side's win.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rahul, adding that he would be raining “centuries after centuries” as he has found form.
“He has always been a very very talented cricketer. Perhaps, he might agree with me that after he made his debut in 2016-17 (2014) and then those two or three years in between, he might have been an underachiever. But now that he has got his mojo back, now that he has got his confidence back, I expect him to rain centuries after centuries because he has got his hunger,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Since making his Test debut in 2014, Rahul had been inconsistent with his performances in the longest format. However, he cemented his place as the first-choice opener in the side with his performances in the England tour where Rahul ended as India's second-highest run-getter (315 runs in four Tests).
{{/usCountry}}Since making his Test debut in 2014, Rahul had been inconsistent with his performances in the longest format. However, he cemented his place as the first-choice opener in the side with his performances in the England tour where Rahul ended as India's second-highest run-getter (315 runs in four Tests).
{{/usCountry}}This was Rahul's seventh Test century and sixth in overseas games, and Gavaskar believes that this hundred would provide the opener with much-needed momentum.
“Once you got the taste of what a Test century means.. the pleasure of lifting the bat to the crowd or the changing room.. the entire change room applauding you, these are the moments that every cricketer or batsmen savors. Now that he has got the taste of it, we can expect hundreds from KL Rahul's bat,” said Gavaskar.