Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel once again made headlines with his sensational batting performance for India A against South Africa A on the first day of the second unofficial Test at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru on Thursday (November 6).
Coming in at a troubled score of 59/4, Dhruv Jurel showed remarkable calmness and determination as he opened the innings and bowled out India A for a total of 255. His innings proved crucial as the rest of the batting unit struggled against South Africa in Bengaluru.
Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten 132 saves India A on day one against South Africa A
Even as India A slipped to 126/7, Jurel kept the scoreboard ticking and got valuable support from Kuldeep Yadav (20). Jurel and the Indian spinners put on a vital partnership of 79 runs, which provided some stability to India A. He showed complete control against the moving ball, playing comfortably with both his front and back feet.
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav credits India’s win vs Australia in 4th T20I to Shubman Gill’s slow innings of 46 off 39 balls
Jurel’s ability to play late and make big advances against fast bowlers helped him deal with any late action from the pitch. He started cautiously, keeping his bat close to his body and focusing on staying at the crease, but gradually switched gears to attack the loose balls.
With precise cuts, drives and well-timed strokes, he took charge of the innings and punished anything that came too short or wide. Jurel’s careful build-up and smart shot selection paid off as he brought up his century off 146 balls and single-handedly saved India A from a difficult situation in the ongoing second unofficial Test.
Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran faltered against South Africa A
He scored an unbeaten 132 runs with the help of 12 fours and four sixes in 175 balls against South Africa A in the ongoing second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru.
India A captain Rishabh Pant could only score 24 runs, while KL Rahul scored 19 runs, Abhimanyu Easwaran was out for a duck, Sai Sudarshan faced more than 50 balls giving just 17 runs and Devdutt Padikkal could only add 5 runs against South Africa A.
Tian Van Vuuren was the standout bowler for South Africa A, finishing with impressive figures of 4/52, while Tshepo Moreki and Prenlan Subreyan contributed two wickets each. India A’s batsmen were given a tough test by a disciplined bowling attack on the first day in Bengaluru.
Also read: Rishabh Pant fears injury before returning in Test against South Africa
Dhruv Jurel shows great maturity with his fourth first-class century
This was Jurel’s fourth first-class century. His recent performance against West Indies, where he scored 125, 44 and 6 not out, had already shown his talent and maturity. With this century, Jurel has shown that he can handle pressure, rebuild innings and play long, match-defining innings when the team needs it most.
His growing consistency makes him a strong contender for a permanent place in India’s Test setup, increasing the pressure on Rishabh Pant, especially considering the upcoming Test series against South Africa on home soil. India is all set to host South Africa in a two-match Test series, which will be followed by 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is.
