By Prakash Nair 
Ahmedabad, October 3: KL Rahul walked off to a standing ovation in Motera on Friday, his bat raised, his helmet tucked under his arm, and a smile that weighed of nine long years behind it. For the first time since 2016, he had scored a Test century on Indian soil. It was his 11th overall, but in many ways, it felt like his first all over again.
A Long Wait Finally Broken
When Rahul last raised his bat for a home hundred, Virat Kohli had just begun his captaincy reign in earnest, Rohit Sharma was yet to open the innings in Test cricket, and India was still searching for a long-term answer after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The gap of 3,211 days without a home had become an unspoken part of Rahul’s story. Talented but inconsistent, elegant yet unreliable, always on the edge of cementing his place.
On Friday in Ahmedabad, he batted like a man determined to rewrite that script. According to Reuters, his century helped India take control of the first Test against the West Indies, pushing them into a solid first-innings lead. But beyond the numbers, there was something different in his approach. His strokes weren’t flashy; they were measured. His celebrations weren’t loud; they were personal, two fingers to his lips, a gesture that seemed to be for his newborn daughter, and perhaps, for his wife, Athiya Shetty, watching from the stands.
More Than Just A Statistic
This wasn’t just another tick on the scorecard. With this hundred, Rahul edged past Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma in the tally of centuries scored as an Indian opener. It placed him in an elite bracket, and as DD News pointed out, cemented his position as one of India’s most productive openers in the modern era.
The manner of it mattered too. Analysts writing in The Indian Express noted that this wasn’t the reckless, self-doubting Rahul of years gone by. His balance at the crease was steadier, his shot selection tighter, his innings stitched together with the patience of a man who knew that time something he once squandered was now on his side if he played it right.
Shadows Of Selection Drama
It is worth remembering that just a few weeks ago, Rahul’s very place in Indian cricket was under debate. The South Zone selectors dropped him from the Duleep Trophy, sparking outrage and forcing the BCCI to step in. As reported by NDTV Sports, the board had to remind state associations that centrally contracted players were not optional. The episode was telling. For all his seniority and experience, Rahul still has to fight for space in a team where competition is relentless.
A Lesson From The Past
What made this hundred sweeter was the sense of perspective Rahul himself has gained. In a candid chat earlier this year with ESPNcricinfo, he admitted that his eagerness to score a personal milestone once led to Rishabh Pant’s unfortunate run-out in England. It was a rare admission in a sport where players often brush past their errors. On Friday, he showed the other side of that lesson: a willingness to wait, to absorb pressure, to build an innings brick by brick.
Why This Matters For India
India’s opening slot has been unsettled for years. From Gambhir’s decline to the revolving door of replacements, stability has often been hard to come by. Shubman Gill is finding his feet, Rohit Sharma remains the captain, but also in the later years of his career, and the selectors are always on the lookout for the next prodigy. Against that backdrop, Rahul’s return to form is not just timely, it’s necessary.
The crowd in Ahmedabad seemed to understand this instinctively. They roared not just because an Indian batsman had scored a century, but because a player they had often doubted had finally come good in front of them.
The Road Ahead
Of course, Rahul’s career has been too stop-start for anyone to declare this a final turning point. Injuries, inconsistency, and selection battles have followed him for a decade. Yet, as of today, he has put his name firmly back into the conversation for India’s future in Test cricket.
And if there was one image that summed up the day, it wasn’t the pull shot that brought him his hundred, nor the score flashing on the giant screen. It was Rahul kissing his bat, raising it skyward, and making a gesture meant for his infant daughter. After years of proving himself to selectors and critics, this hundred felt like it was finally for himself and for the people closest to him.
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- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
