Despite all the accolades that he earned throughout the last two days, for his gritty knock, as well as his captaincy, Ajinkya Rahane rated his Lord's century against England in 2014 above his knock of 112 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia that he stitched through the major part of the second day of the Boxing Day Test.
Rahane patiently put together a valiant century, his 12th in the format as first as a captain, against one of the best Test bowling attacks in present world cricket. The knock did not just help India amass 326 runs which handed the visitors a healthy 131-run lead in the first innings, it has now left them closer to a comeback of colossal proportion.
When asked by former cricketer Shane Warne at the end of day three about his knock on Sunday, Rahane said, "It was really special. Getting a century always is. Still feel that my hundred against England at Lord’s is my best. This game is not over yet, still have to get four more wickets."
Yet former Indian cricketer and a legend of the game, Sunil Gavaskar, earlier in the day, opined that Rahane's century will go down as one of the most important knocks in the history of Indian cricket.
"I believe that this hundred is going to be one of the most important hundreds in the history of Indian cricket," Gavaskar told the Seven Network before the start of day 3.
"Important because it's showing character, sending a message to the opposition that after being dismissed for 36 in the previous game, to come back in this manner, this Indian team is not going to just lie down and be walked all over.
"That is the message and that's why I think this is going to be one of the most important hundreds in the history of Indian cricket."
He was eventually dismissed run out on Monday, for the first time in his Test career, after Ravindra Jadeja called for a desperate single to complete his half-century.
"I initially thought I was in. I told him (Jadeja) not to worry about my run out and to do keep doing well," Rahane said with a smile.
