IND v ENG 4th Test: With 90 runs in first innings, Dhruv Jurel's career is on a good wicket

A Test century proved elusive, but Dhruv Jurel's 90 will perhaps be romanticised in time to come - quite like Gundappa Vishwanath’s unbeaten 97 in Chennai against West Indies in 1974. (Image source: X/ Dhruv Jurel)

The ongoing India vs England five-Test series has seen four debuts for India: wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, fast bowler Akash Deep, right-hand batsman Sarfaraz Khan and top-order batsman and off-spinner Rajat Patidar. Of course, there is opportunity, and then there is quality of opportunity. The former translates to being presented with the chance to showcase one’s wares. The latter references being provided with the ‘ideal’ environment, to the extent possible, to perform without undue pressure. It’s hard to say in which of these two categories Dhruv Jurel’s nascent international career falls. Some three months back, he wasn’t in the larger scheme of things. KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan were the designated Test wicketkeepers on India’s Test tour of South Africa, and the then 22-year-old wasn’t in the white-ball plans either.

Dhruv Jurel India call-up & debut

Ishan Kishan’s abrupt departure from South Africa, allied with the think-tank’s decision to play KL Rahul as a specialist batsman for the home series against England, paved the way for Dhruv Jurel’s entry into the Test squad, as KS Bharat’s understudy. The Andhra stumper was obviously the first choice, given that he had played five Tests the previous year, but once he failed to pull his weight with the bat in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, opportunity came calling at Jurel’s doorstep.

During an excellent debut in Rajkot, the Agra-born lad showcased his comfort levels at the international level. There were no signs of nerves; nor was there any cockiness as he went about his business without fuss, his immense belief in his abilities obvious during his crucial and polished 46 in India’s first innings and the confidence with which he assisted Rohit Sharma during DRS confabulations.

With Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja and the irrepressible Sarfaraz Khan hogging the show on the first day, Mohammed Siraj blasting out England on the third and Yashasvi Jaiswal flaying a tiring attack on his way to a second successive double century, Jurel was almost a fringe actor until just before lunch on the fourth morning.

As England set out in quest of an impossible 557 for victory, he effected an electric run out to see off the pesky Ben Duckett, rocking the visitors’ chase right at the outset. His presence of mind as he charged towards the stumps, sensing a possibility after channels of communication between Duckett and his opening partner Zak Crawley broke down, was complemented by excellent hands that helped him gather an awkward, wide throw from Siraj on the half-volley and knock off the bails. More than his 46 with the bat, this little passage of play thrust Jurel into the spotlight. Clearly, that’s something he revels under.

India vs England 4th Test, Day 1: wicketkeeping

As if to iterate that Rajkot wasn’t a one-off and that it had nothing to do with beginner’s luck, Jurel turned in a tidy performance with the gloves in the fourth Test in Ranchi in conditions that tested his skills. There was no alarming turn on Day 1, but the bounce was unpredictable. In the same over, one ball climbed chest high and the other scooted through at ankle level, both from the same spot. Wicketkeeping called for immense concentration, hawk-eyed focus, surety of movement, softness of hands, precision in footwork. Jurel ticked all the boxes with aplomb, bringing his limited experience of domestic cricket into play.

Before Rajkot, he had played only 15 first-class games, but done enough with the bat – average 46 – and the gloves to convince the decision-makers that he was the real deal. Jurel is the classic modern-day cricketer who has excelled in all variants; in an era where a specialist wicketkeeper is a no-no and where batting skills are as vital as impeccable glovework, he averages 47.25 in List A (50-over) cricket and 20.33 in T20s. While 20.33 might appear passable, throw in a strike-rate of 137.07 batting at the business end, and one can see why Rajasthan Royals snapped him up at his base price of Rs 20 lakh at the IPL 2022 auction.

India vs England 4th Test, Days 2-3: batting

Jurel’s big test, however, came with the bat on days two and three of the ongoing Ranchi Test. More celebrated and illustrious batsmen, Jaiswal excepted, had found the admirable Shoaib Bashir and the misbehaving surface more than a handful. With the ball increasingly staying down, playing off the back foot was fraught with danger, as the beleaguered Rajit Patidar and then Jaiswal found out. It was Jaiswal’s dismissal that brought Jurel to the middle, India on 161 for five in reply to England’s 353.

That some became 177 for seven, leaving Jurel with the monumental task of getting India as close as possible to the visitors’ tally in the company of Nos. 9, 10 and Jack, Kuldeep Yadav, debutant Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, respectively.

This was the opportunity of a lifetime. If Jurel didn’t deliver, there would be disappointment, yes, but it wouldn’t have been held against him. If he did, he would do his career a world of good, leaving the likes of Bharat and Kishan behind and presenting himself as a genuine option even when Rishabh Pant is ready to return to action.

His familiarity with such conditions in domestic cricket became Jurel’s biggest ally. As the 20-year-old Bashir and Tom Hartley kept plugging away, Jurel dug his heels in, emboldened by the gumption Kuldeep showed at the other end. Like he had been behind the sticks, he was decisive in front of it too. His footwork was flawless, his hands soft in defence, but he wasn’t intent on survival alone. Twice early in his innings, he opened his shoulders to cart Bashir aerially for boundaries. He was also industrious, working the gaps and picking up ones and twos to trigger a ray of hope within the Indian camp.

Despite being the more accomplished batsman, he allowed Kuldeep to lead the way during their eighth-wicket stand of 76, but after that, he moved into overdrive, farming the strike and doing the bulk of the scoring whilst realising 54 for the last two wickets. For someone so young, both in age and experience, Jurel revealed a maturity and a commonsense way beyond his years. A merited maiden Test century proved elusive, but like Gundappa Vishwanath’s unbeaten 97 in Chennai against West Indies in 1974, this 90 will perhaps be romanticised in time to come more than had he surged to three figures.

India still have a long way to go in this Test, but Jurel has given them a chance. A fighting chance. Along the way, he made quality of his opportunity. What more can one ask for, really?