More often than not, in today’s digital age, it’s near impossible to cut the outside noise and focus on one’s job. More so, when one is an Indian cricketer, playing at the highest level and counted among a few to lead the national cricket team going forward, he can’t escape the scrutiny, especially in a country where every second layman is a cricket analyst.

A few months ago, KL Rahul went through an unwanted experience, during which he claimed it had taken a toll on his mental health. “There was a lot of criticism, people were commenting on my performance in every match and situation. I wasn’t able to understand why it was happening, because my performance wasn’t that bad. So, that was very painful,” KL said on his return after a long injury lay-off, in September.

A gifted cricketer with sound technique, KL has been targeted not only on social media but also by cricket pundits for his inconsistency, that witnessed an on and off show with the willow during the early part of the calendar year before an injury during the Indian Premier League kept him out of action for around three months.

Back in the team for the Asia Cup, the 31-year-old directly walked into the Playing XI in the high-octane clash against Pakistan and slammed critics with a match-winning century, and ended the tournament with a tally of 169 runs from three innings, and deservingly cemented his spot as the side’s designated wicketkeeper-batter for the World Cup in which he came up with impressive figures of 452 runs in 11 matches.

Cut to the ongoing Boxing Day Test in Centurion – his happy hunting ground, where he slammed a century when India toured the Rainbow Nation the last time in 2021. But there were stark differences in the manner in which he brought up that three figure mark while opening the batting, and on Tuesday, when he walked out to bat as the side’s designated keeper-batter at No 6 with the visitors reeling at a precarious 92 for 4 on a rain-curtailed Day 1.

Rahul weathered the initial storm with South Africa’s premier quick Kagiso Rabada steaming in full throttle, and later combined with the tail-enders to help India get past the 200-run mark, which at one point looked out of reach at the end of the opening day’s play, curtailed by heavy showers.

Resuming his innings at the overnight score of 70 with Mohammed Siraj in company, Rahul knew he had to face the bulk of the music from the fresh South African pacers in the first session. He battled the early challenges in his first over of the day when Rabada generated significant movement off the surface, beating him thrice on the outside edge, and instead took his chances off Gerald Coetzee.

The interesting part of KL Rahul 2.0 is that he’s enjoying the challenges thrown at him. Take for example, his contest with Rabada on the second morning, when Rabada beat him four times in four balls, and Rahul responded to the fifth ball – a short and wide delivery — with an upper cut it for four.

It is testament to his judgment, and his intent. At the back of his mind, Rahul knew he had to score the bulk of the runs and at the same time save the likes of Siraj and Prasidh Krishna from being exposed to the African pace attack. In no time, he raced to 95, with 24 of those runs coming from four boundaries and a six, and did not hesitate to go aerial as he brought up his 8th Test century with a six over midwicket off Coetzee.

The entire Indian dressing room stood up to applaud Rahul’s heroic act as his 101 helped India reach 245.

Ever since his return from injury during the Asia Cup, Rahul has so far notched up 935 runs in 22 matches across formats averaging an excellent 71.92, including three centuries in what has been a stellar comeback.

Elgar ton frustrates India

Playing his career’s last Test series, opener Dean Elgar, also doubling up as the stand-in skipper in the absence of injured Temba Bavuma, led from the front, scoring a sizzling century against a high-quality Indian pace attack.

In a stark difference to the South African pacers’ approach of mixing it by pitching the ball short and in good length areas, India’s new ball bowlers, especially the debutant Krishna and third choice Shardul Thakur erred in length, and allowed Elgar to open his arms at will. Both Thakur and Krishna went over five runs an over, letting down the good work from the premier duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

While the Centurion Park wicket is much more amenable to the ball that is pitched up, Siraj profited from it with the early wicket of Aiden Markram in the fourth over for just 5. But the joy was shortlived for the visitors as Elgar took full advantage of his home conditions, and led the Proteas to 49 for 1 at lunch.

On return India made a tactical mistake by employing the supporting acts — Prasidh and Thakur — to operate from each end, and the experienced Elgar took full advantage of their weaknesses. After an impressive ODI series, Tony de Zorzi came up with a gutsy 28, playing the perfect second fiddle to Elgar as the left-handed duo set the tone with a 93-run second wicket stand before Bumrah struck on return for another spell.

In the meantime, Elgar had reached his fifty off 79 balls, and while they lost new man Keegan Petersen (2) cheaply, the debutant David Bedingham showed no nerves, giving good company to the left-handed opener, who went on to score a very accomplished Test century, and celebrated it with a leap and scream for one last time in front of his home crowd as South Africa accelerated at a breakneck pace to add 145 runs in 33 overs and reach 194 for 3 by tea.

For India, Bumrah kept things tight, and got rewarded with the wickets of Zorzi and Petersen after Siraj got the prized scalp of Markram, early on.