Rahul made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in the 2015 series, also Virat Kohli's first as captain. After two single-figure scores in Galle, Rahul scored a century in Colombo, which laid the foundation for India's 278-run win. Rahul then starred in India's 3-0 rout over hosts Sri Lanka in the 2017 series. He recorded two 50-plus scores.