KL Rahul smashes hundred in warm-up game, Team India end first day on 306/9
Wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja stitched a 127-run partnership before the former retired out against County Select XI.
In absence of regular wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, who will return from isolation and join the Indian team from Wednesday in Durham and Wriddhiman Saha, who will be in isolation till July 24, KL Rahul grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he smashed a century in the three-day warm-up game against County Select XI in Durham.
Team India sans Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, chose to bat first led by Rohit Sharma. The top-order didn't offer much as Rohit scored just 9 runs while Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari all fell after scoring good-looking 20s.
Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja then took the onus to help their team get to safer shores. He brought up his half-century as the duo took the team's total beyond 200. Soon after, he brought his century off just 150 balls and retired out, in a bid to give other players have a chance to bat. Rahul, with this innings, might have put his name for the first Test against England in the middle-order.
Jadeja brought up his half-century too and played a fabulous innings of 75 runs. The County Xi's bowlers came back to pick two-three wickets in quick succession as India finished the first day at 306/9 with pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah in the middle.
The five-match Test series starts at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on August 4.