'You play and fight for 6-7 hours, those are the kind of innings that really stand out' - KL Rahul on his stunning Boxing Day ton

Indian cricketer KL Rahul said that scoring a century after putting in the hard yards in challenging conditions gives a batter plenty of joy and satisfaction. The right-hander was at his very best in the opening day’s play of the first Test between India and South Africa. At the SuperSport Park in Centurion, Rahul stayed unbeaten on 122 off 248 with the help of 17 fours and one six.

The Bangalore-born batter got to his century off 218 balls in the final session of the first day’s play. The youngster said that his 117-run stand for the opening wicket with Mayank Agarwal set the tone for the visiting team. Agarwal lent Rahul apt support, scoring 60 before Lungi Ngidi trapped him plumb in front.

Really happy that I could stay there not out, says KL Rahul

“I mean, it is truly special; every hundred really takes something out of you and gives you a lot of joy. There are so many emotions you go through when you score a hundred. You play and fight for 6-7 hours’ those are the kind of innings that really stand out and as players, we really cherish these,” Rahul was quoted as saying to the BCCI.

“Really happy that I could stay there not out, and it is what is expected out of me. Once I and Mayank got off to a good start, I started enjoying my batting, and I did not think too far ahead,” he stated.

“Preparation has been really good; the purpose and the intensity we had in training that was something very refreshing. All the batters that batted on Day 1 were really focused; you could see that we have put in a lot of work,” Rahul added.

On the back of Rahul’s effort, India racked up 272 for three on Day one. Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane were the overnight batters, having already put on 73 runs for the fourth wicket. Cheteshwar Pujara bagged a golden duck while skipper Virat Kohli perished to a loose stroke after scoring 35.

Ngidi picked up all three wickets for the Proteas on the day. The rest of the South Africa bowlers, including Kagiso Rabada, couldn’t make a breakthrough.