Highly promising India youngster KL Rahul cast aside a self-titled “nightmare debut” to score his maiden Test hundred in the fourth Test against Australia.

After a highly forgettable maiden Test in the third Test at the MCG, where he looked sorely out of his depth in scoring 3 and 1, Rahul drew high praise from injured Australia captain Michael Clarke as he spearheaded India’s first innings at the SCG on Thursday.

Rahul looked at home in the Test arena, scoring 110 before he was dismissed by Mitchell Starc.

“It wasn’t the debut I expected, so I came out thinking this was my first game and I was very happy with the way I batted,” Rahul said.

“I was more relieved than proud today.

“It was a nightmare debut and I didn’t think too much about it coming here.

“I don’t know what I was thinking (in Melbourne) … it was nice to get some runs.”

With India fielding its least experienced team in almost 40 years, Rahul showed he can be part of the country’s next generation after a number of key retirements in recent years.

The classical right-hander averages 48.93 at first-class level and is seen as a similar type of player to Indian great Rahul Dravid, who he counts as a mentor.

Clarke said Rahul was likely to be part of the India side for years to come.

“What a talent: this has been an outstanding Test match innings,” Clarke said on Channel Nine.

“He has played beautifully and his footwork has been great.

“He didn’t perform as he would have liked in his first Test match, but what an amazing talent.”

India have been forced to rebuild their side after the retirement of some of their greatest batsman ever over the last few years including Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.

Former captain MS Dhoni (90 Tests) retired after the third Test in Melbourne.

The Indian side for the SCG Test has just 172 Test caps and is their least experienced side since the 1976 Test against New Zealand in Auckland – when the combined experience of the playing XI was 154 Tests.

It wasn’t that long ago India had a player in Tendulkar, who could boast more than 172 Tests just by himself.

The Little Master retired in November 2013 after his 200th Test.