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K L Rahul's stellar performance in the series-opening Boxing Day Test against South Africa exceeded expectations.
Stepping in to bat at No. 6 for only the second time in his Test career, Rahul delivered a remarkable innings, crafting 101 runs from 137 balls in trying conditions, steering India to a total of 245.
Notably, he etched his name as the first overseas batter to achieve multiple Test centuries at Centurion, complementing his century in 2022.
Rahul joined Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who have scored more than one Test century in South Africa.
Tendulkar, the record-holder for the most centuries in South Africa among Asian batsmen, commended Rahul's performance, underscoring the clarity of thought evident in his precise and confident footwork.
'Well played Rahul. What impressed me was his clarity of thought. His footwork looked precise and assured, and that happens when a batter is thinking right,' Tendulkar tweeted.
Sunil Gavaskar proclaimed Rahul's century as one of the Top 10 centuries scored by Indians in Test cricket, underlining the magnitude of the achievement.
'I've been watching cricket for the last 50 years,' Gavaskar, who scored 34 Test centuriesm said, 'but I can surely say that this hundred by Rahul is in the Top 10 centuries scored by Indians in Test cricket.'