August 20, 2015, was the day KL Rahul produced one of the standout innings of his Test career, scoring a patient century against Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval in Colombo. India had a shaky start after Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat. Murali Vijay was dismissed for a duck, while Ajinkya Rahane fell soon after, leaving India in trouble at 12/2. That wicket brought Rahul and Kohli together, and the pair slowly turned things around. The two put together a 164-run stand for the third wicket, taking the sting out of the Sri Lankan attack and putting India back in control.
Rahul was particularly assured during the partnership. He took his time at the crease and eventually brought up his century, scoring 108 off 190 deliveries. Kohli, meanwhile, provided the aggression at the other end with a well-made 78. By the end of the day, India had recovered strongly from their early setbacks, with Rahul's century giving them the ideal platform to build a big first-innings total.
The match ended with a convincing 278-run win for India with Rahul named Player of the Match. This was also Kumar Sangakkara's farewell Test match. This knock was significant for Rahul, who was still establishing himself in Test cricket. Coming after India had lost two early wickets, his innings showed the patience and temperament required to make an impact away from home. August 20 has produced several other memorable results for India in recent years but this will be one of the best incidents and KL Rahul was the star scoring his second Test century.
