Ahead of India’s upcoming Test series against South Africa at home, Dhruv Jurel made another compelling case to be included as a specialist batsman. Playing for India A in the second four-day fixture against South Africa A, the wicketkeeper-batsman scored an unbeaten 132 out of the team’s total of 255 on Day 1 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on Thursday.
With India set to play WTC champions South Africa in the first Test at Kolkata starting November 14, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep are all part of India A team for this fixture. Even South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who missed the tour of Pakistan with an injury, is featuring in the game. And winning the toss, South Africa made India to bat first on a green top and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran perished straight away in the second over for a nought – trapped in front.
Thereafter, Rahul and Sai Sudharsan played cautiously in seaming conditions before the former became left-arm seamer Tiaan Van Vuuren’s first of four victims. The tall seamer, got one delivery to hold its line and go in the angle and Rahul, ended up playing a loose drive, nicking it to the wicketkeeper.
In the next over, Sai Sudharsan once again paid the price for repeating the same old mistake. The left-hander who bats at No 3 was under pressure during the series against West Indies last month, and scored 87 in the second Test to get a breather. The two matches for India A provided him an opportunity to iron out his flaws and instead in three innings so far he has scores of 32, 12 and 17. His dismissal on Thursday to off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen was identical to that of Ahmedabad. Instead of going forward to the delivery, Sai Sudharsan once again tried to play off the backfoot and was trapped in front. India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had pointed out that this is one area where they have been having conversations with Sai Sudharsan, where they have been encouraging him to play of the front-foot to the spinners without altering his natural game. By the looks of it, more time is needed on it.
Once the openers and No 3 fell, Rishabh Pant as usual tried to counter-attack, but his innings lasted all of 20 deliveries before being caught while trying to clear mid-on for 24. Devdutt Padikkal, also part of the Test team, and one who could have pushed his case to be included in place of Sai Sudharsan at No 3, was caught behind of Van Vuuren as the left-hander pushed at a delivery that was close at to him.
While the frontline batsmen heading to Kolkata struggled, Jurel was an exception. Having scored 125 against West Indies in Pant’s absence, there were calls to play him as a specialist batsman and this innings would only make those calls louder.
Despite playing on a green top with South Africa pacers right on the money, Jurel showed assuredness in the middle. From 124/7 with only tailenders to offer support, he took India A to 255. He left deliveries he ought to and when presented with a remote possibility of freeing his arms, he backed his game to find those. Time and again, he played back-foot cut off the seamers, which was measured in terms of bat flow. When he intended to drive, he ensured he didn’t go chasing the delivery and instead waited for it to come closer to his eyeline. With the top-order and middle-order failing to support, it was Kuldeep who offered him solidarity, staying in the middle for 88 deliveries as Jurel ensured boundaries flowed. As usual, he was at his punishing best against the spinner, with all four sixes coming off Subrayen in the arc between long-on and mid-wicket.
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With this century, Jurel will definitely be vying for the slot at No 6 which was occupied by all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Brief scores: India A 255 (Dhruv Jurel 132 n.o; Tiaan van Vuuren 4/52) v South Africa A.
