The Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper also became only the second Indian batter after all-rounder Hardik Pandya to complete a hundred from No. 7 or lower in Sri Lanka. Pandya had scored 108 against Pallekelle back in 2017.
WATCH Dhruv Jurel complete his second Test century in Colombo HERE…
Jurel celebrated reaching a century with a six off Fernando to finish off the 136th over of the innings as Indians continued their march towards 500 in the first innings. The last Indian batter to score a century from No. 7 or lower was all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who notched up 114 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 2024.
The 25-year-old also became only the 9th Indian batter to score an overseas hundred from No. 7 or lower in the batting order. Dattu Phadkar was the first to achieve this feat when he scored 123 against Australia at Adelaide in 1948. Former India all-rounder Kapil Dev and Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has achieved this feat twice.
Pant had scored 114 and 159 not out respectively against England and Australia in 2018 and 2019. Indian captain Shubman Gill finally declared the innings at 503 for 9 after beginning the second day on 300 for 5 wickets.
Jurel ended the innings unbeaten on 115 not out off 177 balls with two sixes an 9 fours in the innings. Devdutt Padikkal was the other centurion of the innings, scoring 117 on the opening day on Sunday.
Earlier, Jurel was unbeaten on 95 when rain ended the second session early as teams headed into tea with India at 475 for 8. He added 112 runs for the sixth wicket with Rishabh Pant, who scored 63 in 88 balls with 2 sixes and six fours.
Pant, who had to retire hurt at 3 on the opening day, came in to bat early on the second day with debutant Saransh Jain dismissed for 6. The Indian wicketkeeper was dismissed off the first ball after the lunch break.
Jurel was on 59 then, but found an able ally in all-rounder Manav Suthar (18) with whom he added 54 runs for the eighth wicket. It was his second fifty-plus score in as many Tests after going without a 50 in eight innings prior to the first Test in Galle.
Suthar was eventually dismissed by left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who elicited a thick edge to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Jurel notched up his second successive Test fifty off 97 balls in the opening session of the second day.