KL Rahul Breaks Mammoth Record For India In Test Cricket With 50 vs Afghanistan

KL Rahul for India. [Source - AP]

India's home season kicked off on Saturday with the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. With Day 1 underway, the hosts opted to bat first and produced a solid batting display to put the visitors under pressure.

Among the standout performers was opener KL Rahul, who has looked in complete control during his stay at the crease. The right-hander continues to bat with confidence and composure, steadily building India's innings while also closing in on a significant milestone in Test cricket.

KL Rahul Anchors India's Strong Start On Day 1

India won the toss and elected to bat first in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh on Saturday. With debutant Manav Suthar included in the playing XI, the hosts were eager to make a positive start to their home season.

Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal got India off to a fluent start, taking the attack to the Afghanistan bowlers early on. While Jaiswal played with his usual attacking intent and kept the scoreboard moving, his promising knock ended before he could convert it into something big.

Rahul, however, remained unfazed and continued to build his innings alongside Sai Sudharsan at 3. The duo ensured Afghanistan found no further success before lunch, and after the break, Rahul raised a classy half-century, his 32nd fifty-plus Test score and 28th as an opener.

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KL Rahul Climbs To Fourth On India's All-Time List Of Test Openers

KL Rahul's half-century was significant for more than just India's position in the match. The knock marked his 28th score of 50 or more as an opener in Test cricket, allowing him to move past former India opener Murali Vijay.

Most 50+ Scores by Indian Openers in Tests

With the milestone, Rahul climbed to fourth on the list of Indian openers with the most 50-plus scores in Test cricket. Vijay's tally of 27 had stood ahead of him, but Rahul's latest effort ensured a change.

Only Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir now remain ahead of Rahul on the elite list. Given his current form and active Test career, the Indian opener has a strong chance of moving even higher.

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KL Rahul Continues To Prove His Worth As India's Test Opener

Over the years, KL Rahul has established himself as one of India's most dependable Test openers, particularly in challenging conditions. Before this innings, he had scored 4,053 Test runs, with 3,599 of them coming while opening the batting.

His record at the top reflects both consistency and adaptability. Rahul averages 37.49 as an opener and has registered 10 of his 11 Test centuries in the role, underlining the impact he has made at the top.

The latest knock against Afghanistan is another reminder of his quality and temperament. Having already reached his half-century and looking completely in control, Rahul appears well placed to convert the start into yet another memorable hundred for India.

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