As India goals to safe a vital collection lead within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy towards Australia in the course of the third Check on the Melbourne Cricket Floor (MCG), all eyes can be on Indian opener KL Rahul, who has been in distinctive kind in a collection that has largely been difficult for Indian batters. The third Check, scheduled to start on December 26, can be a Boxing Day affair. The collection is at the moment tied at 1-1. KL Rahul, promoted to the opening slot this collection after skipper Rohit Sharma opted to play within the center order following the start of his second baby, has appeared extraordinarily composed and assured towards the brand new, transferring ball.
He’s India’s main run-scorer within the collection to date and the second total, with 235 runs in six innings at a median of 47.00, together with two half-centuries and a finest rating of 84.
Rahul has a high quality alternative to realize a uncommon milestone throughout this Check: a hat-trick of centuries in Boxing Day Checks. In his final two Boxing Day appearances, each towards South Africa in 2021 and 2023, Rahul scored centuries. He made 123 (alongside a 23) in a victorious outing at Centurion in 2021, and 101 (with a 4) in a dropping effort on the identical venue final 12 months.
KL has solely performed one Boxing Day Check in Australia, which occurred to be his debut Check in 2014. On that event, he managed scores of three and one.
Whereas there was some inconsistency in Rahul’s Boxing Day Check performances, his means to ship two centuries in consecutive fixtures highlights his knack for rising to the event in certainly one of cricket’s marquee occasions, which frequently attracts massive crowds.
In eight Checks this 12 months, Rahul has scored 469 runs at a median of 39.08, with 4 half-centuries and a finest rating of 86 throughout 14 innings. Within the ICC World Check Championship 2023-25 cycle, he has collected 574 runs in 9 matches at a median of 41.00, with one century, 4 fifties, and a prime rating of 101.
Can KL Rahul obtain a hat-trick of Boxing Day Check centuries? Solely time will inform.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
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