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KL Rahul looked calm, focused, and completely in control at Lord’s on Friday. By the end of Day 2, he had quietly walked into elite company among Asian openers with consistent performances in some of the toughest Test conditions in the world.Most 50+ in SENA Tests by Asian Openers 19 – Sunil Gavaskar12 -D Karunaratne 11 – KL Rahul 10 – Saeed Anwar 10 – Virender Sehwag 10 – Tamim Iqbal With his unbeaten half-century against England, Rahul now has 11 scores of fifty or more in SENA countries — South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. Only two other Asian openers have done it more often: Sunil Gavaskar (19) and Dimuth Karunaratne (12). Rahul now sits just behind them, going past the likes of Sehwag, Tamim Iqbal, and Saeed Anwar. It was a special knock, not just because of the milestone but also because of the pressure. India had lost Shubman Gill early, and both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Karun Nair got out after quick starts. At 65 for three, the innings could have slipped. But Rahul, as he has done many times before, dug in and slowly rebuilt with Rishabh Pant.
Rahul’s timing through the covers brought the crowd to life, and his shot selection stood out on a pitch that still had some help for the bowlers. He barely took a risk but kept the scoreboard ticking.
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Do you believe KL Rahul can surpass Sunil Gavaskar’s record of fifties in SENA countries?
Earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah lit up Lord’s with a five-wicket haul that put his name on the honours board and took him past Kapil Dev for the most five-fors by an Indian bowler outside Asia. At stumps, India were 145 for three, with Rahul unbeaten on 58. His quiet determination once again reminded everyone why he remains one of India’s most reliable batters overseas.
