KL Rahul equals Virender Sehwag's Test record in SENA after slamming fifty in IND vs ENG 1st Test

India batter KL Rahul has equalled Virender Sehwag in a major record in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) after slamming a fifty during the second innings of the first Test against England in Leeds. Rahul, who had made a solid start in the first innings, having scored 42 in India's score of 471, got to his 26th career fifty during the second essay.

Rahul has been one of India's most trusted and veteran batters in SENA conditions, having the ability to bat at almost anywhere in the top six. The versatile batter was put to the test by the English bowlers on Day 3 of the game and on the morning of the fourth day too. The Karnataka batter did well to see through the tough time and brought up an impressive fifty on the penultimate day of the match. 

With his fifty, Rahul has equalled Sehwag and Murali Vijay in a major milestone list. This was his ninth fifty-plus score as opener in the SENA countries, which are now the joint second most by an Indian



opener. 

He is levelled with Sehwag and Vijay, both of whom also have nine such scores in the four countries as opener, and only trails the great Sunil Gavaskar. The Little Master has 19 fifty-plus scores in the four nations. 

Most fifty-plus scores by Indian openers in SENA:

1 - Sunil Gavaskar: 19

2 - KL Rahul: 9

3 - Virender Sehwag: 9

4 - Murali Vijay: 9

5 - Gautam Gambhir: 7

India resumed the day on 90/2 (96-run lead) with the overnight pair of Rahul and captain Shubman Gill resuming the proceedings. Rahul was unbeaten on 47, while Gill had six runs to his name. 

The India skipper was dismissed cheaply on eight, as he chopped on an inswinging delivery onto his stumps. Meanwhile, Rahul went on to hit his fifty as the visitors breached the 100-run mark, both in terms of their score and in terms of the overall lead.