IND vs SA 1st Test: KL Rahul achieves what Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting could not with thunderous ton

IND vs SA 1st Test: Indian star KL Rahul on Wednesday created history as he scored a thunderous ton in the India vs South Africa 1st Test in Centurion. Rahul played a terrific knock of 101 as he guided his team to a respectable total of 245 after being asked to bat first by the Proteas. Transforming into a new avatar, Rahul has achieved a historical feat.

Rahul’s 101 will be the major talking point of this series and former Indian coach Ravi Shastri quipped on air that this is his best hundred. The star wicket-keeper has now achieved what even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting have not at the Supersport Park in Centurion. 

Rahul has become the first overseas batter to score multiple Test centuries in Centurion. This was his second Test ton at the venue after his hundred on his last visit to Centurion in 2021. Even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Sir Viv Richards, Adam Gilchrist and Virender Sehwag have not scored multiple Test tons at the venue.

Rahul has also become only the third Indian to hit two centuries in a Boxing Day Test after Sachin Tendulkar and Ajinkya Rahane. He is the second Indian after Sachin with back-to-back Boxing Day tons as only Sachin held the record earlier. Tendulkar has scored Boxing Day centuries in 1998 and 1999, while Rahane has hit tons in 2014 and 2020.

India scored 245 runs in the first innings after being at 208/8 at the start of the day. Rahul got to his three-figure mark through a six-over deep mid-wicket as he deposited Gerald Coetzee over the stands. His century came in only 133 deliveries and his innings featured 14 fours and 4 sixes in total. He got out on 101 as Nandre Burger bowled him.

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