Rahul’s first-class profile has etched classics on veritably grinding tracks at the Oval and Lord’s in London and Centurion in South Africa over the last six years. Yet, periodic inconsistencies back in India have put the Karnataka batter’s Test spot under constant scrutiny.

The local boy had the perfect setting on Day 3 to break an unusual rut of not scoring a home ton for almost eight years. He even had a packed stand of sprightly fans rooting for him as he strode out to resume India A’s first-innings response.

Rahul’s last first-class hundred in India was the 199 against England in the winter of 2016 in Chennai. In February 2017, he struck six fifties in seven innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was meant for greater chapters as an opener in the format. Oddly, Rahul has since played only seven Test innings in nearly as many years at home.

The 32-year-old had dawdled to 23 off 80 deliveries on Day 2 beside Riyan Parag. With the pitch sustaining its aid for the seamers through another morning, Rahul had his task cut out in converting his painstaking vigil into a knock of substance.

KL’s no-show

While India B seamer Mukesh Kumar tested Rahul’s fortitude around the off-stump with incoming deliveries, left-armer Yash Dayal was content in shaping deliveries away from both right-handers.

A section of the crowd turned to some prickly banter when Dayal rushed down to the fine-leg boundary after his first over. ‘Rinku, Rinku’ chants, recalling the pacer’s forgettable IPL 2023 night in Ahmedabad, perhaps added a spring or two in his step. Dayal snaffled Parag within minutes in his next over. His return to the fine-leg station had welcomed a change from the fans who were reminded of his ‘RCB’ allegiance.

Dhruv Jurel could not stick around for long either as Navdeep Saini trapped the wicket-keeper with the nip-backer. Despite a sizable 170-odd deficit, Rahul maintained reticence, playing from the depths of the crease as Saini and Nitish Reddy angled in deliveries off the seam.

Ice cream and samosa vendors cashed in on the festive mood of the weekend as the locals egged on Rahul, hoping for an imminent shift of gears. Face paints adorning the ‘KL’ initials grew popular on the upper deck. But just as he stood on the brink of his third hour at the crease, Rahul lost sight of the plot. In his wont to unsettle his first taste of spin in the session, Rahul lunged forward to Washington Sundar’s loopy off-break. The pre-meditated paddle from outside the off-stump zoomed into the stumps and Rahul’s rigorous labor of 178 minutes and 111 deliveries came crashing down.

As movement off the pitch still enabled considerable damage, India B restricted A to 231 shortly after lunch for a 90-run innings lead.

India’s Test bats in the fixture have largely endured a tepid run, appearing unsure in their movements and rhythms on a lively strip. The overall rustiness of the players have also snatched about 30 overs of play across three days.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s blade was silenced yet again on an attacking stroke. The India B opener’s attempt to flick a fuller delivery from Khaleel Ahmed had him strapped by Jurel down leg.

Big brother’s turn

Walking in to bat for a third successive day, first-innings centurion Musheer Khan was restricted to a six-ball duck by Akash Deep. The first blob of Musheer’s first-class career came courtesy of a one-handed stunner from Jurel on the leg-side. B skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran was next in the firing line, dismissed by a luring out-swinger from Akash on the full.

However, Sarfaraz Khan stepped in to replace his brother and set forth a remarkable counter-punch. Sarfaraz smeared Khaleel for two off-drive boundaries before unsettling Akash with a spellbinding barrage.

The Mumbai bulwark left Shubman Gill’s fielders in a daze as he sliced, cut, drove and flicked Akash for five successive fours in an over, swinging the momentum back into B’s hands. Pant joined in on the onslaught as he dispatched Khaleel for raspy boundaries to the deep cover fence. The exuberant pair churned out 72 runs in only 56 balls while leaving a trail of chances for India A. Sarfaraz, aggressive from the outset, was put down at cover on 0 before Khaleel failed to hold onto a caught-and-bowled opportunity.

The shot of the day though was a searing square drive off the length from Sarfaraz, pummeling Khaleel over the fence for a six. The stroke-filled knock ended when Sarfaraz (46) unfurled one shot too many and was cramped up and caught behind by Avesh’s bumper on a fourth-stump line.

Soaring returns

Far from the tedious batting of Rahul and Co, Pant soon lit up the evening with unfiltered aggression. Full-sleeved but sleight of hand, Pant flaunted his audacity when he reverse-swept Akash from a fuller length for four. The southpaw also had his share of fortune when a mistimed slog off Akash was lost in a mix-up between Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav at fine leg.

Pant then turned to Kuldeep, bludgeoning the wrist-spinner’s feeble lengths through long-on for a dynamic maximum and a four before bringing up his half-century in 34 balls. Although he holed out soon after, Pant’s daredevilry had triumphed over India A’s attritional methods.

Suthar powers IND C win

Meanwhile in Anantapur, India C recorded a four-wicket win after left-arm spinner Manav Suthar spun a web on India D. Suthar’s 7/49, the best by a debutant in the Duleep Trophy, bundled D for 168 in the second innings.
Brisk knocks from the top-order led by India C captain Ruturaj Gaikwad set up the 233-run chase before Suthar (19 not out) returned to brave a minor collapse and hit the winning runs for the side.

Brief Scores: India B 321 and 150 for 6 (Rishabh Pant 61) vs India A 231 all out (KL Rahul 37, Navdeep Saini 3/60).