Dhruv Jurel continues to impress the Indian selectors with his batting skills. With the series against South Africa A, he has shown that he deserves to be a part of the Test playing XI. His remarkable consistency has helped him to be in the Test squad for the series against South Africa.
As the Home season begins for the Indian team, there have been players who are giving statements with their vital knocks. And one of them is the wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel. After being a part of the team in Rishabh Pant’s absence, Jurel thought of utilising the opportunity to the fullest. He had shown some great performances in the series
Following this, Rishabh Pant marked his return in the India A vs South Africa A series. But Jurel didn’t back down, and he was eager to prove his worth even in the unofficial Tests. With a century when no other batter crossed the 25-run mark, Jurel has given a statement of intent to the BCCI selectors and he is also creating a mark.
1. India A tour of Australia
Before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, India A had a two match unofficial Test series against Australia’s A team. Dhruv Jurel did not get a chance to play in the first game, as the team went on with Ishan Kishan. However, Jurel marked his comeback in the second Test and didn’t back down.
The second unofficial Test was being played at Melbourne. India A was in huge trouble, standing at the score of 11/4. But Dhruv Jurel stepped in at that time and played an important knock of 80 runs off 186 balls for the team. This helped India A to finish their innings at the score of 161, as Australia A went on to score 223 runs in the first innings.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
Later, India A stood at a problematic situation again, as the Australian bowlers put them at 56/5. But Jurel once again acted as a saviour for the team, as he went on to score 68 runs off 122 balls. He played just one unofficial Test in this series, but his consistency was remarkable.
2. India A tour of England
Following this, India A went on a tour of England, where Jurel proved himself even at the English conditions. In the first match, which was played at Canterbury, the batters received much advantage, and India was batting first in this game. Jurel went on to score 94 runs off 120 balls for the team in the first innings.
With India A scoring 554 runs, England Lions scored 587. India A stepped out to bat again in the second innings, as Dhruv Jurel went on to score consecutive half-centuries in unofficial Tests. He scored 53 runs off 53 balls for the team, as the match ended in a draw.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
Jurel continued his red hot form for the Indian team in the next game against England Lions. With India A batting first, Jurel went on to score 52 runs off 87 balls for the team in the first innings. In the second innings, he managed to score just 28 runs, but his knock was vital for the India A team to give a strong fight.
3. Australia A tour of India
In September, Australia A had a tour of India for two unofficial Tests. And this time, Jurel made sure to bring up some big scores which he had been missing out for long. The first match was being played at Lucknow, and India A had a good start. This allowed Jurel to play a fine knock of 140 runs in the first innings of the game.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal had a 228-run stand for the team, which troubled the Australian bowlers. This match ended up in a draw, and it was time for the next game. Australia A batted first in this match and scored 420 runs, as India A was able to score just 194 runs in response to the same.
Later in the second innings of the game, Jurel went on to score 56 runs off 66 balls, giving a positive end to the team in this series. With some great batting performances, the match resulted in a draw.
4. South Africa A tour of India
And now, just before the Test series between India and South Africa, the A teams of both countries are going against each other for two unofficial Tests. Dhruv Jurel was not a part of the India A team in the first Test, as the team already had Rishabh Pant, who marked his return. Still, Jurel was available for the team in the
India A stood at the score of 126/7 in the first innings, but Jurel stood firm at the crease. He went on to score 132 runs for the team off 175 balls, which helped India A to score 255 runs in the first innings. Moreover, his knock came at a time when no other player was able to score 25 runs.