Ahmedabad: India opener KL Rahul etched his name in the record books on Thursday after scoring his 10th century as a Test opener, becoming only the fourth Indian to achieve this milestone in the longest format of the game. The landmark came during the ongoing first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rahul surpasses Gambhir and Rohit

Rahul’s 197-ball hundred, studded with 12 boundaries, saw him move past Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, who both have nine Test centuries each as openers. He now joins the elite list featuring Sunil Gavaskar (33 centuries), Virender Sehwag (22 centuries), and Murali Vijay (12 centuries).

The right-hander was eventually dismissed for exactly 100 by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, handing a simple catch to Justin Greaves at short extra-cover just after the lunch break.

A century after a long wait

This ton holds special significance for Rahul, as it ended a long wait for a Test hundred on Indian soil. His last home century came in December 2016 against England in Chennai, when he scored 199. The gap of 3,211 days between his two home Test centuries is the longest such wait for any Indian batter.

Statistically, this is the fourth-longest gap between two home centuries for an Indian, with Ravichandran Ashwin’s 36-innings wait topping the list.

Rahul’s dream year in Tests

The year 2025 has marked a career resurgence for Rahul in red-ball cricket. In seven matches and 13 innings, he has amassed 649 runs at an average of 54.08, including three centuries and two fifties, with a highest score of 137.

Earlier this year, Rahul enjoyed his best Test series outing against England in the UK, finishing as the third-highest run-getter with 532 runs in 10 innings at an average of 53.20, including two centuries and two half-centuries.

Match situation

At the end of the first session on day two, India stood at 218/3, leading by 56 runs over West Indies’ first-innings total of 162. Alongside Rahul’s century, Shubman Gill contributed 50, while Dhruv Jurel was unbeaten on 14 at lunch.

The Indian bowlers had earlier dominated proceedings, with Mohammed Siraj claiming 4/40 and Jasprit Bumrah picking up three wickets to bundle out the visitors. Justin Greaves top-scored for the West Indies with 32 runs off 48 balls.

Brief Scores:

West Indies 162 all out (Justin Greaves 32, Shai Hope 26; Mohammed Siraj 4/40, Jasprit Bumrah 3/45)
India 218/3 (KL Rahul 100, Shubman Gill 50, Roston Chase 2/37)