Rajasthan Royals batter played 140 overs in a day before international debut

In a tough situation on a tricky pitch, the young 23-year-old top scored for his side and brought India back into the game.

 By Monojit Das Feb 26, 2024, 10:55 IST
Dhruv Jurel scored 90 in India's first innings at Ranchi Test.?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4
Dhruv Jurel scored a brilliant 90 in India's first innings of Ranchi Test against England..

Rajasthan Royals batter Dhruv Jurel recently made his Test debut in the third Test against England at Rajkot. The wicketkeeper-batter replaced out of form KS Bharat in the team. Because of high competition within India’s Test team, Jurel was under pressure to perform right from his debut match.

In his second Test here at Ranchi, Dhruv Jurel stamped his authority scoring a magnificent 90 off 149 balls. He top-scored for his country in an innings where India seemed to struggle at different points.

The young wicketkeeper came into bat when India were reeling on a tricky pitch at 161/5 and then slipped further to 177/7, in reply to England’s 353. The pitch was playing different tricks and the odd ball was keeping low. But Jurel soaked up the pressure and ensured India reach 307, reducing England’s lead to just 46. His partnership with Kuldeep Yadav revived India’s hopes and his ability to play with the tailenders stood out.

‘He came before debut Test match and batted for 140 overs in a day’: Zubin Bharucha

Rajasthan Royals' High Performance Director Zubin Bharucha revealed Jurel’s preparation before his Test debut. Speaking to news agency PTI, Bharucha said that his preparations had been going on for the last 18 months.

"Just before the (debut) Test match he came to the RR HPC in Talegaon and batted for 140 overs in a day, it took over four hours on different spinning surfaces. It was a monumental practice session, one of the few that matched Jaiswal's long sessions,” Bharucha said.

After the end of Day 3, Dhruv Jurel spoke about his crucial knock which brought India back into the game.

"I don't regret a bit on missing the hundred. It's my debut Test series, I'm just desperate to lift this trophy in my hands. It's always a childhood dream to play for India in Tests," the 23-year-old said at the press conference.
"It's my debut Test series, obviously there will be some pressure. But when I got in, I just thought of what the team needed from me. The longer I stay here and make runs the better for me," Jurel added on his game plan.

Read: Why did Dhruv Jurel salute after hitting maiden Test fifty?

Dhruv Jurel scored 6 fours and 4 sixes during his knock. The fact that his knock came at another legendary wicketkeeper’s (MS Dhoni) home ground makes this even more special. He also scored a crucial 46 in his debut Test innings at Rajkot.

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