New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- Indian opener KL Rahul finally delivered a career-defining series fans and experts had been waiting for as he crossed the 500-run mark for the first time in a Test series in the recently-concluded tour of England, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

The tour witnessed a completely new avatar of Rahul. In the absence of legends like Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, the 31-year-old was no longer someone whose 'potential' was up for debate, just as it had been in the past before every series as if he was some youngster. Rather, the 33-year-old stepped up as an elderly wiseman for the team, serving as a link between the new and old talent. With his monk-like concentration, unreachable defence and crunchy cover ...