Batting skill makes Dhruv Jurel more than a back-up ‘keeper

Hindustan Times

7 hours ago

MUMBAI
In any era when you are competing for the same spot as a once-in-a-generation cricketer, you are always going to play second fiddle. In the current India Test team, Dhruv Jurel finds himself in the unenviable position of being Rishabh Pant's contemporary.
Given his extraordinary feats, Pant is ensconced in the side and that can be seen in his promotion as vice-captain. For other keeper-batters in India, the best option to make a Test career alongside Pant is to do well as a pure batter. Jurel is trying to do just that.
If the India A matches against England Lions are being seen as a selection test for the England Test series, the Uttar Pradesh middle-order batter will be in contention for a spot in the playing eleven even as a batter. In the first unofficial test at Canterbury, he scored 94 and 53 not out.
The fine showing was backed with an impressive 52 in the first innings of the second game at Northampton. Going from India, especially after playing a long-drawn IPL, it would take some time getting used to the conditions in England.
Jurel has shown a remarkable all-round game, a rare quality as a batter to be able to adapt to any condition. He played with ease in all three innings, getting his runs at a brisk pace – playing late, keeping the bat close to the body and meeting the ball under the eye while putting away any ball, which allowed him room to cut, or drive when pitched fuller, for boundaries. His 94 came off just 120 balls with 11 fours and one six. The 53 was at run-a-ball and on Friday he got his 52 off 87 balls with seven fours.
In cricket, every country and ground throw up a different challenge in terms of playing surface and conditions. In the sub-continent, it is about playing spin well, and in England it is about dealing with the moving ball. In Australia, there's extra pace and bounce to deal with. The hallmark of a good batter is being able to adapt to various playing conditions and Jurel has done that superbly.
The potential shown by 24-year-old Jurel is immense.
In his very first series against England, at home in early 2024, he played a series of invaluable knocks, proving he has the temperament to go with the skills.
Getting a chance in the absence of Pant, who was recovering from the car accident, he made his mark immediately as KS Bharat's replacement with a patient 104-ball 46 on debut at Rajkot. Every time he walked into bat, he made a difference to the team's fortunes. In his second Test, played at Ranchi, he pulled India out of a hole from 177/7 with a priceless 90, to finish on 307. He returned in the second innings to anchor a tricky chase with an unbeaten 39 to win the Player-of-the-Match award. He has hardly put a foot wrong since.
If English conditions are about facing the moving ball, playing on Australian pitches requires a different kind of adjustment.
In his first outing in Australia last November, Jurel made his mark. The pitch for India A's second game against Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was too spicy for the liking of any batter from the subcontinent and even KL Rahul struggled. As if batting on a different pitch, Jurel played some scintillating shots to top-score in both innings – 80 in a total of 161 and 68 in a total of 229.
Impressed, the Indian team management picked him as a batter for the first Test at Perth with Pant keeping wicket. The Test didn't go well for Jurel, getting out for 11 and 1, and when captain Rohit Sharma joined for the second Test, he was the casualty. Getting just one game was tough on the youngster, but the competition for places was intense.
With Rohit and Virat Kohli retired, India is looking for batting options. The Test team's transition period starts with the tough five-Test series in England starting at Leeds on June 20. Whatever call the team management takes, it is an advantage that in Jurel they have a player available for those conditions.
Many times it happens that you don't have a player and the team is forced to stick with the same combination. Jurel gives an extra batting option. His impressive start to the England tour is a big positive for the Indian Test side in transition.