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India's KL Rahul celebrates after scoring a century on day four of the first cricket test match between England and India at Headingley in Leeds, England, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
A man of few words KL Rahul, when the situation demands, does most of the talking. His bat too has the same habit. At Leeds, on an overcast morning, where India was just one batting collapse away from a possible early setback in the series, Rahul produced an innings of gravitas. Between overs, he also kept reminding his batting partner Rishabh Pant, prone to getting sudden bouts of aggression, the virtues of staying calm during crucial periods of play. Rahul, and his bat, came up with a joint statement and that was about his importance to this team with young decision-makers.
Rahul’s technique and his painstaking cherry-picking of his many strokes for the situation guided India through the tough phase. The carefree Pant, unlike Rahul a firm believer of playing his natural game, too scored a hundred. He made 118, was out in 72nd over but Rahul scored more, 137, and stayed longer, getting out in the 85th over. The opener stayed back to ensure that England were under scoreboard pressure when they came out to bat in the fourth innings.
India were all out for 364, setting England a victory target of 371. With the Indian innings finishing with about 20 overs to go, Shubman Gill got a shot at the English batsmen late on Monday. At stumps, England were 21/0. The final day of this opening Test throws up endless possibilities.
Anticipation isn’t just about the result but also about how England approach this imposing target on the final day. It is rumoured that Bazballers don’t play for a draw, they live by the sword. The new captain Gill, said to be a mix of his two predecessors Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, too talks about being positive and playing to win. At Headingley, on Tuesday, reputations will be at stake.
𝗖 𝗛 𝗔 𝗠 𝗣 𝗜 𝗢 𝗡 𝗦 𝗧 𝗨 𝗙 𝗙 🫡🙌🏻
After missing out in the first innings, @klrahul makes it count in the second! A priceless century that puts #TeamIndia in a commanding position in the 1st Test! 🇮🇳#ENGvIND 1st Test Day 4 LIVE NOW Streaming on JioHotstar 👉… pic.twitter.com/FVrutSIABd
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 23, 2025
Had it not been for Rahul, India’s Man Friday these days, England would have had it easy. Rahul has always excelled on these shores, this was his third Test hundred in England. His is a rarest of rare Test career graph. Rahul has just one hundred at home and more in England and South Africa. Today’s knock showed why Rahul does well on pitches with life.
Minutes after Gill was out trying to guide a sharply rising ball from Brydon Crase to third man with a slightly horizontal bat chop, the pundits were asking the producers to get the split screen ready. This was to compare Shubman to Rahul and how they play the same ball. To a similarly rising ball outside off, unlike Shubman, Rahul would present a vertical bat and change the angle to guide behind. The pictures showed Rahul was more in control of the shot than Shubman.
Controlled bat speed
There was another marked difference between the two. Rahul all through his innings, kept his hands close to the body and merely pushed at the ball. Since stepping into England, his bat speed has been controlled. He has not been hurried or edgy. Rahul in the two innings here has been subtle and sure.
It was this tightness of technique that helped him deal with that crack outside the off-stump towards the Howard Stand. There was one patch of rough in the good length area from where the ball would suddenly take off. Rahul had to deal with the unexpected and ugly bounce at least 4 times but he was up to it. Watching the ball closely he would remove himself from the line, withdraw the bat at the last microsecond, play with soft hands to make it drop well short of slip or even let it hit the body. Pant, a left-hander, didn’t face the problem as it was outside his leg-stump.
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With the pitch showing cracks and rough, England’s lone spinner Shoaib Bashir too was a threat. Rahul’s method to negate him was different from Pant. The off-spinner would repeatedly bowl to Rahul around the off-stump and keep the cover region vacant. It was an invite to drive with the slip waiting for any mishit. Rahul wasn’t going to be extravagant, like Pant. Picking the ball that was drivable, he would allow his left foot to go out to reach the ball and give a firm push to it. On Headingley’s fast outfield, the balls didn’t need to be clobbered, good timing was enough to take them past the boundary line. That has been the crux of Rahul’s batting and his many drives through the off-side.
POV: You are looking at @klrahul‘s masterclass 🏏
He has gone past his fifty & looks rock solid at the crease, with vice-captain @RishabhPant17 at the other end.#ENGvIND 1st Test Day 4 LIVE NOW Streaming on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/4duAvChJD5 pic.twitter.com/DXBL0yqMN0
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 23, 2025
Not just in front of the wicket, Rahul would also exploit the point area with his decisive cut shot. When Bashir, or even Stokes, bowled short on the off-side, he would cut the ball firmly. It was the shot he played very often this IPL. After he dragged India out of trouble, Rahul played a tired shot on his 247th ball. It came after he had batted for close to six hours. Ironically, it was a rising ball from Crase, similar to the one that got Shubman. Rahul tried to cut but the ball got his edge and hit the stumps.
Rahul was dropped once but he maintained his poise. He passed his calm to Pant. He hand-held him with sensitivity. Rahul allowed his usual madness but checked him from going bonkers.
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