Dhruv Jurel: A gem that filled India's big wicketkeeper-batter void

England were in a spot of bother when they lost five wickets for 112 runs in the first innings of the Ranchi Test. However, Joe Root took a U-turn to his traditional approach or borrowed Michael Vaughan's words, and played “common sense ball” and bailed his team out.

At a strike rate of 44.53, the former England captain notched up a sensible hundred to take their total past 350 on Day 1. England's opener Zak Crawley was confident that they were ahead of the game as a score of 280-300 looked to be a challenging total on a deteriorating surface. 

India's reply suffered an early setback as captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed for just two runs in the third over, granting English seamer James Anderson his 697th Test scalp. His young opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his sublime touch by providing another fine start. However, wickets kept falling at the other end as India tasted their own medicine. Shoaib Bashir wreaked havoc and the visitors looked set to take a huge lead when the scoreboard read 177-7, with Ravichandran Ashwin being trapped in front off a Tom Hartley delivery. 

However, all of England's hopes and Crawley’s confidence were shattered by a youngster, who was playing just his second Test. Yes, Dhruv Jurel single-handedly turned the tide in India's favour. His calculated and cultivated 90 off 149 balls in the first innings was the turning point of the game which defied all of Ben Stokes' calculations and plans. It would be unfair not to mention the Kuldeep Yadav's resolute contribution, who provided solid support (28 off 131 balls) at the other end by occupying the crease like an absolute rock.

Jurel's determination and sensible play teach England what is missing from Bazball syllabus

Jurel was unfortunate to miss out on a century that was richly deserved, but his bold batting performance enabled the hosts to diminish their deficit to less than 50 runs. The wicketkeeping sensation knew that the more he scored in the first innings, the less work his team would had to do in the second. That proved to be true as India had to chase down only 192 runs, thanks to a magnificent spell by Ashwin and Kuldeep, bowling England out for just 145.

This time around, Rohit stood with Jaiswal and gave the team a fine start, adding 84 for the first wicket. However, from a comfortable position, they suffered a minor collapse. Jurel stepped up again and Shubman Gill also managed to play his no. 3 spot-saving knock. The two young lads put on a 72-run partnership for the sixth wicket to steer India to a five-wicket victory and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. 

For his exceptional performance with the bat in both innings, Jurel was rightfully adjudged Player of the Match and also scripted history. He was the first Indian wicketkeeper in 22 years to win the POTM award in a match in his debut Test series. The son of a Kargil War veteran, Jurel's determination and maturity to play according to the situation was a significant contributor to India ultimately emerging out on, while also schooling England that sometimes, 'common sense ball' is better than their approach. 

“I play according to the demands of the situation. The first innings, we needed to get runs as well, we knew we had to bat last and so any amount of runs would be vital. Obviously, it was a great experience playing against him (James Anderson). I have been watching on the television so far but more important was to focus on the ball rather than the bowler. Ball par focus karna tha, bowler par nahi,” Jurel was quoted as saying by The Times of India. 

Bharat to Jurel, a change that brought England to their knees 

India played without some key players throughout the series, which opened doors for youngsters. With KL Rahul confirming that he would only participate as a batter, KS Bharat assumed the role of the wicketkeeper. However, the management lost patience with the 30-year-old following his string of low scores and decided to drop him after the second Test. Jurel was picked as his replacement and on his debut innings (third Test in Rajkot), the Uttar Pradesh cricketer proved his mettle with a steely 104-ball 46 and clean glovework behind the stumps .

Needless to say, this change in the Indian batting line-up helped the home team clinch the series, otherwise, who knows, the cricketing fraternity would've been greeted with a 2-2 scoreline with the decider in Dharamsala. Rishabh Pant's absence after a horrific car accident in December 2022 had affected the team's strength immensely. However, now they have found a gem and even if Pant makes a comeback, Jurel is likely to be in contention and in the Indian Test setup for his impressive performances so far in the ongoing series.