Hyderabad: Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul became India's first opening pair since 2004 to record a century stand in Test cricket on Australian soil on the second day at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, November 23, 2024.
Rahul-Jaiswal's gritty century partnership in India's second innings was the first such achievement since Virender Sehwag (72) and Akash Chopra's (45) 123-run stand in Sydney during the 2004 series. This pair is the only sixth instance of Indian openers posting a 100-plus partnership in Test cricket in Australia.
This 172-run stand between Jaiswal and Rahul is also the second-highest opening partnership for India in Australia after Sunil Gavaskar and K SrriKanth's 191-run partnership in the 1986 Sydney Test.
This stand further solidified India’s dominant position in the match, as they ended the day with a lead exceeding 218 runs, following a stellar bowling performance spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah. They batted out two consecutive sessions and became the first pair to do so in the last six years. The last time an Indian pair before Jaiswal & Rahul batted out two successive sessions in a SENA Test was Pujara and Kohli at the MCG in 2018.
Jaiswal, playing in only his third overseas Test, showcased remarkable composure, adapting from his first-innings struggles to remain unbeaten on 90 off 193 balls. He hit seven boundaries and two sixes in his dogged innings and is only 10 runs short of his maiden Test century outside India. On the other hand, KL Rahul was happy to play second fiddle to Jaiswal as he was calmly ticking his score and posted a half-century after three Tests. He remained not out on 62 off 163 balls with the help of four boundaries.
Full List of 100-Plus First-Wicket Stands for India in Australia (Test Cricket)
| Partners | Runs | Innings | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM Gavaskar, K Srikkanth | 191 | 1 | Sydney | 02-Jan-1986 |
| CPS Chauhan, SM Gavaskar | 165 | 3 | Melbourne | 07-Feb-1981 |
| A Chopra, V Sehwag | 141 | 1 | Melbourne | 26-Dec-2003 |
| MH Mankad, CT Sarwate | 124 | 2 | Melbourne | 01-Jan-1948 |
| A Chopra, V Sehwag | 123 | 1 | Sydney | 02-Jan-2004 |
| Y Jaiswal, KL Rahul | 172* | 3 | Perth | 23-Nov-2024 |
