Young Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel has made it really difficult for head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to ignore him for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa with his sensational performances for India A.
Dhruv Jurel is keeping himself in strong contention for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. Jurel, who has been keeping wickets for India in the absence of Rishabh Pant and even scored a century in the recent Test series against West Indies, is showing remarkable consistency.
Dhruv Jurel’s two unbeaten centuries put pressure on Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill ahead of South Africa Test
He scored centuries in both innings of the second four-day match for India A in the second unofficial Test match against South Africa A at the Center of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru. However, it was his temperament, ability to handle pressure and maturity that impressed everyone the most.
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Jurel’s excellent performance not only helped India A take complete control of the game but also boosted his chances of making it to India’s playing XI for the first Test against South Africa starting on November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
His consistency has given the team management a sweet headache, especially with explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant returning to action after recovering from a leg injury.
Dhruv Jurel shines under pressure for India A
Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel played a breathtaking innings under immense pressure on the opening day of the second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru.
When India A was struggling at 59 for 4, the young wicketkeeper turned the game around with an unbeaten 132 off 175 balls. He hit 12 fours and 4 sixes during his brilliant innings.
Jurel made important partnerships of 33 runs with Harsh Dubey, 79 runs with Kuldeep Yadav and 34 runs with Mohammed Siraj to take India A to a struggling score of 255 runs against South Africa A. Well, he once again proved to be the hero for India A in the second innings also.
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Dhruv Jurel’s second century turned the match
Coming in to bat at number seven when India were in trouble at 84 for 4, the 24-year-old took charge of the innings with confidence and calmness and produced another excellent performance in the second innings of the unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru.
The right-handed batsman stitched a solid 34-run partnership with Kuldeep Yadav before putting together a massive 184-run partnership with Harsh Dubey that completely changed the game. Jurel’s second century of the match put India A in a strong position heading into the final day.
He played a brilliant inning of 127* runs in 170 balls with the help of 15 fours and one six and India A declared the innings at 382/7. Jurel remained unbeaten in both innings, and that should be enough for him to cement a place in India’s XI for the first Test, at least solely as a batsman at Eden Gardens.
It is noteworthy that South Africa A still needs 390+ runs to defeat India A in the ongoing second unofficial Test match in Bengaluru. Earlier, India had won the first unofficial test by three wickets. After the red-ball games, both the teams will play three 50-50 over matches in Rajkot.
