Northampton [UK], June 6 : KL Rahul roared back to his rich vein of form as he blazed his way to a sizzling century for India on the opening day of the second unofficial Test against England Lions on Friday in Northampton.

After the first unofficial Test, India A tinkered with its playing XI. Rahul opened alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, with captain Abhimanyu Easwaran dropping to the third spot in the batting order. Wickets kept tumbling at the other end with Jaiswal (17) and Easwaran (11) returning cheaply, courtesy of Chris Woakes, but Rahul remained firm on the other side.

Rahul's rollicking display was a blend of aggression and caution. He accelerated in patches but relied on his defensive prowess for most of his stay. He had to wait till the 56th over to arrive at the landmark moment.

The swashbuckler found the boundary rope to move to 99, sprinted for a single, and celebrated his special milestone by raising his bat in 151 deliveries. Rahul's exquisite touch serves as a major boost ahead of the five high-stakes Tests against England, beginning on June 20 at Headingley.

While Rahul shone with his sublime display, Dhruv Jurel relished consistency. He struck his third successive fifty in as many innings against the England Lions. He hammered a scorching 94(120) in the first unofficial Test and followed it up with an unbeaten run-a-ball 53 in the second innings.

He topped up his impressive display with a composed 52(87). With Rahul at the other end, he raised a valuable 121-run stand to stitch India's comeback. Jurel's exploits ended at the hands of George Hill, who breached past his stance and rattled the timber to punch his return ticket.

After Jurel's dismissal, Hill struck again and removed Rahul, with Emilio Gay completing the catch. Rahul walked back with applause from the crowd with a score of 116(168), embellished with 15 fours and a towering maximum.

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