IND vs SA: KL Rahul’s Centurion Test hundred among top ten ten by Indian batters, says Sunil Gavaskar

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IND vs SA: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has said that the hundred by KL Rahul on Day 2 of the first Test between India and South Africa is among the top ten Test hundreds hit by Indian batters.

Gavaskar, who was in the Hindi commentary box when KL Rahul hit his 8th Test hundred at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday, December 27 - asserted that the hundred by the Karnataka batter was one of the bests he had witnessed since he started watching cricket 50 years ago.

“I have been watching cricket since 50 years, I can surely say this hundred by Rahul is in the top ten in the Indian history of Tests. Because this is a different kind of pitch,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

“Here, a batter would never have the confidence that he is set. The ball can do anything anytime. Playing such a knock despite that, especially today… he was unbeaten on 70 yesterday but only had Siraj and Prasidh Krishna for company today.

“When Siraj got out, [Rahul] was on 95. The shot with which he reached his hundred, no praise would be enough for it. It was a length ball and he played a shot that you would normally see in T20s. Amazing.”

The 101-run knock from KL Rahul took India to a respectable 245-run total in the first innings. Rahul became the first visiting batter to smash two Test hundreds in Centurion. This was his second back-to-back hundred at the venue. The right-hand wicketkeeper-batter smashed 123 in 2021 to help India win by 113 runs.

Gavaskar recalled Dilip Vengsarkar's three hundreds at Lord's which gave him the tag of 'Lord of Lord's'. Likewise, the former opener gave Rahul the tag of 'Centurion of Centurion'.

Vengsarkar is the sixth-highest run-scorer at Lord’s in Tests among visiting batters and is the only non-English batter to have scored three hundreds at the venue. Similarly, Rahul became the first visiting batter to score a second Test hundred in Centurion.

“Dilip Vengsarkar had scored three consecutive hundreds at Lord’s and was out on 52 the fourth time. That is why he was called the 'Lord of Lord’s.’ Similarly, we can say that KL Rahul is the 'Centurion of Centurion,'” said Gavaskar.