Lokesh Rahul's Discipline Key to Test Cricket Consistency

Lokesh Rahul's career-best 158 in the second cricket Test at Kingston, Jamaica will have delighted the purist of the game. Rahul's 303-ball innings, laced with 15 fours and three sixes, was a connoisseur's delight.

The 24-year-old's respect for the grammar book was eloquently clear. The Sabina Park wicket was not a batting paradise. There was disconcerting bounce but the way Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara negotiated the Caribbean quicks was commendable.

Interestingly, Rahul was the only batsman to score a 50 and more. That probably explains why West Indies surprised everyone by opting to bat after winning the toss. That their top batsmen failed to execute a plan is of course another story. Poor application and attitude have ruined Caribbean cricket on and off the pitch in recent years.

Rahul and Pujara produced 121 for the second wicket. The runs didn't come easy. The duo scored at 2.29 an over. Playing every ball to its merit - shying away from the rising delivery, shouldering arm to the ball that moved and a behind-the-line-of-the-ball approach made Day 2 extremely interesting.

The circumspection in the approach, the ability to respect the opposition bowlers and yet score the runs in difficult circumstances made the Rahul-Pujara stand extra special.

"You probably have to give a little credit to the West Indies bowlers as well," said Rahul. "They came in with a set plan this morning, to keep it tight and not give away easy runs. They tried to bowl the fourth-fifth stump channel.

"The wicket obviously isn't the easiest to bat on. It is a little spongy sometimes, and two-paced. So you couldn't play through the line or go after the bowlers when they bowled those channels.

"It's a Test match, you have all the time in the world. We have bundled them out for 180 (196), and we still had four days to go. We were in no hurry, so we could take our time and wait for the loose balls. I think we played really well in the first session.

"We gave the West Indies bowlers and the lengths and lines they were bowling the respect it demanded. At the end of the day, we have still gotten the amount of runs we wanted to get. We are very happy as a batting unit."

Cheteshwar Pujara contributed 46 in hs partnership of 121 with Lokesh Rahul.

© AP

Rahul's third century in his sixth Test match should help him cement a place in the top three. He has converted every opportunity that has come his way and head coach Anil Kumble and skipper Virat Kohli must appreciate that Rahul is their long-term man and not a stop-gap option.

Pujara's 46 off 159 balls was a laborious innings but this innings broke the heart of the West Indian bowlers. Rahul understood the enormity of the knock and was quick to appreciate it.

"He did the hard thing. He did the hard yards, but unfortunately he got out - Pujara was run out -- at the wrong time. Had he stayed till the end, he would have scored 100 more runs in the next two sessions.

It's unfortunate, but I think he'll be happy that he is doing his processes right. The outcome is sometimes not in our hands," said Rahul.

This respect for each other is what makes this young Test team stand out. With so many top batting options available at India's disposal, Kohli's Devils have set a high standard for themselves.