India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has given a big indication of how big a role the team management is planning for him after Dhruv Jurel’s heroics in Ahmedabad. Dhruv Jurel came into the team as a replacement for Rishabh Pant and made the position of India’s wicketkeeper-batsman his own.
Batting at No. 5, the right-handed batsman scored his maiden Test century and played a key role in India’s massive victory by an innings and 140 runs over West Indies in the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Dhruv Jurel stakes claim in India’s middle order after brilliant Test century
This show gave hope to the Indian think tank that even after Rishabh Pant’s return to the Test XI, he can secure a place in the middle order. Jurel’s innings displayed his skill, flair and adaptability, making a strong case for him as a specialist batsman in the Test line-up.
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And the assistant coach admitted that his performance also adds healthy competition to India’s top order, taking pressure off struggling batsman Sai Sudarshan. Ryan ten Doeschate revealed that Jurel has been on the radar of the Indian cricket team management for some time now.
“Sai just needs to focus on believing in himself. We obviously have a lot of confidence in him, allowing us to give him the No. 3 spot. He is playing very well, maybe a tactical mistake on the second day, which he will be aware of – playing the ball back so early in an innings,” the Indian coach said.
Even during India’s Test tours of England and Australia, he made efforts to include the 24-year-old in the plans, given his ability to strengthen the middle-order. He made these revelations before the second and last Test against West Indies starting from October 10 in Delhi.
We were trying to include him in the plans: Ryan ten Doeschate
Ryan ten Doeschate said in the pre-match press conference, “I think this will put pressure on Sai Sudarshan. I think Dhruv Jurel showed last week what a good player he is. We all know that, how good [he could] Get fit in the middle order. We’re really happy with how he’s tracking.”
“SAI is aware of that, and look, I don’t think you can make a career of playing cricket in India if you don’t expect that kind of competition and people attack you, the media attacks you, it’s part and parcel of it, and we know SAI is very tough to deal with it.”
Ten Doeschate added, “He’s someone who, even in England, even a bit in Australia, we were trying to get him into the plans because we know how good he is, and obviously, with Rishabh now injured, Dhruv getting some game time is working quite well.”
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Dhruv Jurel proves his worth in Tests after mixed IPL 2025 season
Despite a mixed IPL season, Dhruv Jurel’s seamless transition to the Test arena shows his growth and readiness for the big stage. According to Ten Doeschate, his century not only adds to India’s batting depth but also sends a clear message that he is ready for the big stage.
He concluded by saying, “But coming into the team now and getting a proper century like this, hopefully that gives him a bit of runway, and if you look at it in a positive way, it’s good that he’s putting pressure on other players at the top of the order as well.”
Notably, Jurel has played 6 Tests for India so far but got a chance to bat in only 9 innings where he scored 380 runs at an average of around 48 and a strike rate of 56 with the help of one century and one half-century. He has also played four T20 matches for the Men in Blue, but failed to make any impact, scoring only 12 runs.