Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to KL Rahul's 137 in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test ft. Irfan Pathan 

Opening batter KL Rahul failed to convert his start and was dismissed for 42 during India’s first innings in the 1st Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. However, he made sure to capitalise in the second innings, smashing a scintillating century. The 33-year-old scored 137 off 247 balls, including 18 boundaries, reaching his ninth Test hundred.

In the process, he stitched together a crucial 195-run partnership off 283 balls with Rishabh Pant, who also notched up his second century of the match with 118 off 140 balls. Thanks to their efforts, the visitors posted 364 in their second innings, giving England a target of 371 runs. At stumps on Day 4, England were 21/0 after six overs, promising a thrilling finish on the final day of the Test.

Meanwhile, Rahul has made an excellent start to the tour and will be aiming to build on this momentum. On that note, in this article, we look at five expert reactions to KL Rahul’s 137 in the ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test.

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Top 5 expert reactions to KL Rahul's 137 in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

#1 Dinesh Karthik

Former India batter turned broadcaster Dinesh Karthik praised the Karnataka batter, saying he had a plan for every delivery and absorbed the pressure by trusting his defence and leaving the ball well. In a video shared on Cricbuzz, the 40-year-old said:

“Not many people will be saying that in the world right now, but when KL Rahul does that, it does give a sense of peace because there was nothing unclassical about the way he played, just solid shots. We looked at some of his strike rates for various lengths: at a good length it was 20, 153 when it’s slightly fuller, and 80 and 62 in other areas. So he knows the toughest ball is at a good length, and he had plans for it: leave a lot, defend close to his body. But anything fuller, he was putting it away; anything shorter, he was just doing what was required.” “The point is, it’s not very often that you come across an innings where a batter is completely in the zone. I thought he was in that zone. He was leaving beautifully. There was a spell that could have easily troubled a lot of batters, but he just found a way to put pressure back by simply staying at the crease without counterattacking, which seems to be the norm these days. He was able to absorb pressure by trusting his defence and his ability to leave the ball, which was nice to see,” Karthik added.

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#2 Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra, in a video shared on his YouTube channel @CricketAakash, lauded KL Rahul for silencing his critics with this brilliant hundred. The 47-year-old pointed out that people were questioning his place in the team while other senior players had been retiring. Aakash said:

“Kamaal laajawaab Rahul. There was a lot of discussion and chatter about this player too — like, when everyone else has left, why keep him? Let him go too, he only scores a handful of runs anyway. But I don’t — I mean, it’s not too far back in history when people were waiting, and honestly, he was the most trolled guy — there’s no doubt about it.” “Even in Test cricket, they said he flatters to deceive, and that there are plenty better than him — without actually thinking about whether he really gets his due. He opens, then comes down the order if needed, then opens again if required, he keeps wickets when asked, never complains, quietly does his job and goes home,” he added.

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#3 Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, said that KL Rahul was a delight to watch and exemplified how one should bat in English conditions. The 57-year-old said:

“Yeah. Well, I mean, he is classical. Absolutely. KL was just so pleasing to the eye. It was exactly how you’re supposed to bat in England — the positions he gets into for the drive, the late leaves — that is classical. We here at Yorkshire have produced some of the great opening batters in the history of the game, and they would have given a little nod to KL, saying, “That is how you play at Headingley.”

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#4 Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh also lauded KL Rahul for adapting to the conditions and playing close to his body. Speaking on his YouTube channel @harbhajanturbanatorsingh996, the 44-year-old said that Rahul reminded him of Rahul Dravid. Singh said:

“You need someone like that — calm, composed, with solid defence, a solid player who knows how to adapt his game according to the conditions. In that first hour, he left the ball beautifully and played it close to his body. His driving was so precise — he only drove when the ball was right under his nose; if it was even slightly away, he would leave it.” “He really reminded me of Rahul Dravid. KL Rahul — well done, brilliant hundred, absolutely brilliant hundred. It’s not easy for anyone to just go to England and start scoring runs, but KL Rahul played exceptionally well. And that partnership, in my opinion, has put this game firmly in India’s favour,” he added.

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#5 Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was also full of praise for KL Rahul, calling him “Sankat Mochan” (crisis-solver). In a video shared on his Instagram account, Pathan said:

“KL Rahul hasn’t been called a “Sankat Mochan” (crisis-solver) for nothing. What an outstanding innings! When you look at this knock, it had everything — composure, intensity, and control. In the first session, it felt like the innings wasn’t going anywhere, and time itself seemed to stand still.” “But as soon as the second session began, everything changed — we saw a completely different player. I’ve given him the name - “Sankat Mochan KL Rahul” — because he bats with such maturity, patience, and brilliance. There’s no doubt about it — magnificent KL Rahul,” he added.

After his 59th Test, KL Rahul has accumulated 3,436 runs at an average of 34.70, including 17 fifties and nine centuries.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer