Young Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel enjoyed a remarkable time in his debut series, showcasing his talent with standout performances to help Team India beat England by 5 wickets in the fourth Test to clinch the five-match Test series with a 3-1 lead in Ranchi.
His crucial knocks of 90 and an unbeaten 39* in the fourth Test played a pivotal role in India’s remarkable win and ultimately earned him the Player of the Match award. Jurel displayed a mature approach in both innings, opting for calculated risks rather than reckless shots.
After the Ranchi Test against England, the 21-year-old stressed the importance of adapting his gameplay to suit the demands of the match situation. He also credited his partners, which helped him control the innings in Ranchi.
Dhruv Jurel said after he received the Player of the Match award: “I play according to the demands of the situation. The 1st innings, we needed to get runs as well, we knew we had to bat last and so any runs would be vital.”
During the first inning, Jurel formed crucial partnerships to help India post over 300 runs on the board against England. He shared a resilient 76-run partnership with Kuldeep Yadav (28) and a valuable 40-run stand with Akash Deep (9) in the Ranchi Test.
Jurel acknowledged the contribution of the lower-order batters and said that their support from the other end played a key role in the team's win.
The right-hander added, “I was involved in some partnerships, so credit does go to all those who stayed and added runs. I just saw the ball and then reacted to it, not thinking too far ahead.”
Jurel expressed his delight at facing England bowlers like James Anderson and Mark Wood especially after admiring their skills on television. However, his focus on the ball rather than getting distracted by the reputation of the bowlers.
He added, “Felt good playing against them because I saw them on TV. Focus was on seeing the ball, not the bowler.”
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) star was involved in an unbeaten 72-run stand with Shubman Gill (52*) while successfully chasing 192 against England and the youngster said that the conversation with the batter was regarding taking it one step at a time.
Jurel signed off by saying, “Gill and I were discussing about making small tasks. To approach the chase in sets of ten runs each.”
(With PTI Inputs)
