KL Rahul produced a hard-fought century on the opening day of India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, scoring 100 off 165 balls in testing conditions that demanded patience, discipline and restraint. His innings began with a moment that summed up the challenge of the day: on 49, he adjusted late to extra bounce from debutant left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote and guided the ball for a single to reach his fifty. From there, Rahul continued to anchor India’s innings on a slow, low surface that was difficult for batting and offered turn as well as uneven bounce.
The innings came after a short turnaround from white-ball cricket, but Rahul had extra time to prepare because Delhi Capitals did not qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs. He used that period to reset mentally and technically for Test cricket. Afghanistan’s seam attack was inexperienced, but the pitch made scoring difficult. Rahul responded with careful shot selection, leaving deliveries outside off stump, defending accurately, and showing restraint against both pace and spin.
Early in his innings, Rahul was tied down for long stretches and was at one stage 5 off 26 balls, but he stayed committed to the conditions. He later said the ball was not coming on at all and described the surface as slow and low. His preparation on similar practice pitches at the adjacent B ground helped him adapt to what he called “good old Test cricket.”
Rahul also benefited from a key reprieve when he was on 16, edging a delivery behind the stumps without Afghanistan showing enough confidence to review. He made the most of that chance and gradually shifted gears when Afghanistan’s bowling resources weakened further after left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf was injured in the field. Rahul attacked debutant spinner Kharote and then kept pressing, while B Sai Sudharsan provided strong support at the other end.
Together, Rahul and Sudharsan added 139 runs for the second wicket, with Sudharsan making 81 off 104 balls. Despite appearances, Sudharsan said Rahul was the one guiding the partnership, offering composure, reading the game well and helping him understand the pitch and the bowlers. The focus was less on one batter playing second fiddle and more on making the right decisions based on conditions.
Heat made the task even tougher, with temperatures around 39°C and a feels-like temperature of 43°C. Rahul was visibly drained, and during one drinks break, support staff even created a towel canopy so he could lie down briefly in the shade. After reaching his fourth century in his last ten Tests, Rahul said he was too exhausted to fully celebrate.
His dismissal came immediately after reaching three figures, when he drove loosely and was caught at short extra cover. It was the third straight time he was dismissed for exactly 100, continuing a pattern seen against England at Lord’s and West Indies in Ahmedabad. Still, this was a significant, grinding effort that gave India a strong base, even as attention also shifted to Shubman Gill’s fluent hundred and Rishabh Pant’s brisk fifty later in the day.
