Agency, Chennai :
The look of dejection writ large on his face, India opener KL Rahul walked back to the dressing room at the MA Chidarmbaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
With his individual score reading 199, Rahul had managed to hit a wide loopy leg-spinner from Adil Rashid straight to Jos Buttler at point, to fall one short of a much-deserving first double century.
At stumps, India were cruising at 391/4, trailing England’s first innings total of 477 by 86 runs with six wickets in hand. Murali Vijay (17) was giving Karun Nair (71) company as the Indians tightened the screws on the visitors with two days left in the game.
But that takes nothing away from the fact that the day belonged to Rahul. It was an immaculate knock considering that both Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and Virat Kohli (15) had been dismissed cheaply and raised England’s hopes of a fightback. But Rahul would have none of it as he added 161 for the fourth wicket with rookie Karun Nair.
If Nair was fidgety to start with, Rahul was rock-solid. England skipper Alastair Cook kept changing the bowlers in an effort to get a breakthrough, but the two batsmen from Karnataka weren’t ready to give in.
In fact, Nair grew in confidence with each passing delivery and Ranji teammate Rahul’s presence further helped matters.
And just when it looked like Rahul would cruise into his first double century, Rashid struck.
There was an eerie silence as the crowd was stunned. And even the English players didn’t look to overdo the celebration bit.
They were quietly applauding a marvelous innings by the youngster.
Back in the Indian dressing room, the players were waiting with bated breath to break out in celebration as Rahul stood one short of registering his first double hundred in Test cricket.
But it turned into a moment of shock and despair as Rahul became the second Indian after Mohammad Azharuddin to be dismissed on 199.
Rahul’s dismissal had to be the lowest point in the day for India after he had stitched two beautiful partnerships – first with Parthiv Patel and then with Nair – to put India in control.
A constant niggle and a hit on the rib cage wouldn’t have hurt the talented youngster as much as the mishit that ballooned up into the air and ended his 311-ball stay in the middle.
English talisman Ben Stokes immediately walked up to congratulate Rahul for a knock that will be etched in the memory of cricket lovers for some time to come.
But for the Karnataka batsman, it was the longest walk he had ever embarked on.
Earlier in the day, he started off brilliantly with Parthiv as the two put on 152 for the opening wicket, India’s first 150-run partnership for the first wicket since Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay’s 283-run stand against Bangladesh at Fatullah in June 2015.
They cut, pulled, swept and drove with elan as the English pacers and spinners looked on clueless. It finally took a false shot from Parthiv (71) off Moeen Ali’s bowling to bring an end to his gutsy knock. The first session belonged to the Indians as they walked into lunch at 173/1.
The balance shifted in England’s favour in the post-lunch session as Stokes first dismissed Pujara and then it was Broad who saw the back of the dangerous Kohli. But that was the end of England’s joy as Rahul and Nair then took the game away from the visitors.
The look of dejection writ large on his face, India opener KL Rahul walked back to the dressing room at the MA Chidarmbaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
With his individual score reading 199, Rahul had managed to hit a wide loopy leg-spinner from Adil Rashid straight to Jos Buttler at point, to fall one short of a much-deserving first double century.
At stumps, India were cruising at 391/4, trailing England’s first innings total of 477 by 86 runs with six wickets in hand. Murali Vijay (17) was giving Karun Nair (71) company as the Indians tightened the screws on the visitors with two days left in the game.
But that takes nothing away from the fact that the day belonged to Rahul. It was an immaculate knock considering that both Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and Virat Kohli (15) had been dismissed cheaply and raised England’s hopes of a fightback. But Rahul would have none of it as he added 161 for the fourth wicket with rookie Karun Nair.
If Nair was fidgety to start with, Rahul was rock-solid. England skipper Alastair Cook kept changing the bowlers in an effort to get a breakthrough, but the two batsmen from Karnataka weren’t ready to give in.
In fact, Nair grew in confidence with each passing delivery and Ranji teammate Rahul’s presence further helped matters.
And just when it looked like Rahul would cruise into his first double century, Rashid struck.
There was an eerie silence as the crowd was stunned. And even the English players didn’t look to overdo the celebration bit.
They were quietly applauding a marvelous innings by the youngster.
Back in the Indian dressing room, the players were waiting with bated breath to break out in celebration as Rahul stood one short of registering his first double hundred in Test cricket.
But it turned into a moment of shock and despair as Rahul became the second Indian after Mohammad Azharuddin to be dismissed on 199.
Rahul’s dismissal had to be the lowest point in the day for India after he had stitched two beautiful partnerships – first with Parthiv Patel and then with Nair – to put India in control.
A constant niggle and a hit on the rib cage wouldn’t have hurt the talented youngster as much as the mishit that ballooned up into the air and ended his 311-ball stay in the middle.
English talisman Ben Stokes immediately walked up to congratulate Rahul for a knock that will be etched in the memory of cricket lovers for some time to come.
But for the Karnataka batsman, it was the longest walk he had ever embarked on.
Earlier in the day, he started off brilliantly with Parthiv as the two put on 152 for the opening wicket, India’s first 150-run partnership for the first wicket since Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay’s 283-run stand against Bangladesh at Fatullah in June 2015.
They cut, pulled, swept and drove with elan as the English pacers and spinners looked on clueless. It finally took a false shot from Parthiv (71) off Moeen Ali’s bowling to bring an end to his gutsy knock. The first session belonged to the Indians as they walked into lunch at 173/1.
The balance shifted in England’s favour in the post-lunch session as Stokes first dismissed Pujara and then it was Broad who saw the back of the dangerous Kohli. But that was the end of England’s joy as Rahul and Nair then took the game away from the visitors.
