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Karnataka batsman India opener and Vice-captain KL Rahul on Sunday revealed that he was itching to go for the big shot against the spinner when he was batting on 99 but controlled his emotions and curbed his attacking instincts to reach his 7th hundred on Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa in Centurion.
Rahul entered the 90s with a six off spinner Keshav Maharaj and hit the same bowler for a four to get to his second Test hundred this year and first against the Proteas. He remained unbeaten on 122 along with Ajinkya Rahane on 40 as India reached 272 for 3 at stumps to take the upper hand on the first day.
Vice-captain Rahul, who averaged 7.50 in four innings with a top score of 16 in South Africa three years ago, opened up on his sixth hundred outside India after the day’s play.
“It’s truly special. Every hundred takes something out of you and gives you a lot of joy. There are so many emotions you have to go through when you have to score a hundred.
“You have to play and fight for 6-7 hours and those are the kind of innings that really stand out and its something that as players we really cherish. I’m really happy that I could stay there not out, this is what is expected out of me.
“Once me and Mayank got off to a good start, I just kept enjoying my batting and we didn’t think too far ahead,” Rahul said on bcci.tv.
The 29-year-old, who was named vice-captain of the Test team after the injured Rohit Sharma got ruled out, has now scored a Test hundred wherever he has toured. He has tons in Australia (1), England (2), Sri Lanka (1), the West Indies (1) and now in South Africa as well.
“I was on 99 and with a spinner bowling, I thought it was a good opportunity to take a single or just go over the top because everybody was inside. I did have that temptation to do that but surprisingly, even in England when I got that hundred at Lord’s and even today I’ve surprised myself with how calm I’ve been.
“Not really thought about that 1 run, my focus has always been to be in that moment and to play that one ball and enjoy it as much as I can. Really happy that I could finish the day on a good note,” Rahul said.
