In the quest for a century, the plot was lost. Though KL Rahul became only the second Indian batsman to score more than one Test century at Lord’s, on either side of the lunch break, in a madness of a few balls, the Indian team lost the initiative.
In the last over before the interval, Rahul took a single off the first ball to reach 98. His partner Rishabh Pant was heard on the stump mic, chiding Rahul for taking a single instead of retaining the strike and completing the century before the break. In the very next ball, Pant went for a needless, risky single to hand Rahul the strike, but was beaten by a fine throw from Ben Stokes. Instead of going wicketless in the first session, the Indians walked into the pavilion crestfallen, especially Rahul, who could not believe what had transpired.
There was no need to hurry or rush to the century before lunch, as Rahul had started the day at 53 and was batting without a hint of bother. Nor was it that he hadn’t scored a century at Lord’s previously. In 2021, he had made 129 in a game that India had won under Virat Kohli.
On resumption, more drama followed. Attempting his 99th run, new man Ravindra Jadeja was nearly run out while Rahul himself risked getting run out when he raced through for the 100th run. After a lengthy celebration, soaking in the moment, and after so much drama, Rahul lost his wicket to the first ball after attaining the three-figure mark, caught in the slip off an innocuous delivery from off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. His dismissal was inexplicable after having batted in a calm and composed manner. Had Pant and Rahul shown restraint, India could well have grabbed the initiative on the third day. Instead, they opened the door for the home team to pull things back.
Playing his 61st Test match, this was Rahul’s 10th century, and the most interesting aspect is that nine of those have come overseas. His only ton at home is also his highest, 199 vs England at Chennai in 2016. Of his nine away centuries four are in England (149 at The Oval, 2018, 129 Lord’s in 2018, 137 at Leeds and 100 at Lord’s in 2025), one in Australia (110 at Sydney in 2015), one in West Indies (115 at Kingston in 2016), and two in South Africa (137 and 101, both at Centurion in 2021 and 2023).
As Rahul has had a century before at Lord’s, he remains among the 10 Indians who have scored a hundred at the ‘Home of Cricket’ and has now become only the second Indian after Dilip Vengsarkar to have his name etched on the Honours Board more than once. Vengsarkar has a unique record of getting a century on three successive tours here (103 in 1979, 157 in 1982 and 126 in 1986).
04
No. of Test centuries scored by KL Rahul in England
