India’s Dhruv Jurel scored his maiden Test century vs the West Indies, crediting Joe Root for refining his batting. He added 206 runs with Ravindra Jadeja, used visualisation, and dedicated his century to his father and the Indian Army with a salute.
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has credited former England captain and talismanic batter Joe Root for helping to refine his batting following his maiden international century on Day 2 of the first Test against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, October 3.
Dhruv Jurel notched up his maiden century in his international career, playing a brilliant innings of 125 off 210 balls, including 15 and 3 sixes. The wicketkeeper-batter walked in to bat at 188/3 and could form only a 30-run stand for the fourth wicket with KL Rahul (100 off 197 balls) before forging a 206-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, who scored an unbeaten 104 off 176 balls.
Jurel and Jadeja’s partnership took Team India past the 400-run mark and a 262-run lead, putting the hosts in a commanding position before the former’s stay at the crease came to an end when he was dismissed at 424/5, bringing India closer to a strong first-innings total.
Joe Root’s role in Dhruv Jurel’s Batting Improvement
Though Dhruv Jurel grabbed the headlines with his maiden Test century, what caught the attention was his technical improvement and flawlessness in shot selection, footwork, and timing.
Speaking at the press conference after Day 2 of the first Test, Jurel credited former Rajasthan Royals teammate Joe Root for helping with refining the batting approach. He revealed that a former England captain urged him to practice the same routines daily to achieve long-term success and improvement.
“Whenever I feel there is something, I go to him as to what I can do with my batting, and he gives simple answers on how I can play and tackle situations. He says it is difficult to remain consistent, but you have to keep doing the same things every day, and you will get the results.” Jurel said.
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Dhruv Jurel was part of the India squad for the Test series in England and did not get a single match in the initial four games before he was picked into the Playing XI for the Oval Test after Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the series decider due to a fractured toe sustained during the Old Trafford Test in Manchester.
However, Jurel stepped in as substitute wicketkeeper for the Lord’s Test after Pant sustained an injury on his finger while keeping behind the wickets. He also did wicketkeeping duties in the Manchester Test after Pant’s foot injury.
‘I do a lot of visualisation’
Speaking about his preparation for the Test series, Dhruv Jurel emphasized visualisation as a key tool behind his readiness by mentally going through every aspect of his innings, from walking to the crease to taking his batting stance.
“I do a lot of visualisation whether I am playing or not, so when I play a match, it doesn’t feel anything new. I visualise everything — from walking in to taking the stance. Nothing feels different. I am always prepared whether I am playing or not,” the 24-year-old.
Dhruv Jurel made his Test debut against England in February last year, but since then, the wicketkeeper-batter has received limited opportunities as Rishabh Pant has remained India’s first-choice wicketkeeper. As Pant was unavailable for the ongoing West Indies Test series, Jurel emerged as the first-choice wicketkeeper, with N Jagadeeshan as a back-up option.
Jurel’s Dedicates Century to Father and the Indian Army
After reaching his fifty, Dhruv Jurel did a ‘salute’ celebration as a heartfelt tribute to his father, dedicating his milestone to him. Jurel’s father, Nem Chand Jurel, is a former Indian Army officer and served during the 1999 Kargil War. However, following his maiden Test century, Jurel did an Indian Army officer’s gun salute with the bat.
Speaking about his celebration, Dhruv Jurel stated that a gun salute with the bat was in his mind for a long time, and he could do it after completing his maiden Test century.
“The salute after reaching my fifty was for my father, but for the hundred, it was something I had in my mind for a long time. What we do on the ground and what they do on the battlefield is very difficult to compare. I will always have my respect, and whatever I do in the future will be for them.” Jurel said.
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Meanwhile, at the end of Day 2, Team India posted a total of 448/5, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar batting on 104 and 6, respectively.