Dhruv Jurel becomes second-youngest Indian wicket-keeper with this Test record
India claimed an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-Test series after beating England in Ranchi. The hosts survived turbulence and chased down 192 on Day 4, with Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel getting them home. The latter smashed a rescuing 90 in the first innings and later assisted Gill in the chase. Jurel was adjudged the Player of the Match for his extraordinary batting.
An innings-defining knock from Jurel
An extraordinary knock from youngster Jurel rescued India, who were down to 177/7 in the first innings. His ability to farm the strike, rotate it, and score boundaries at crucial junctures was on display. Jurel smacked a defiant 90 off 149 balls (6 fours and 4 sixes). It was his maiden Test half-century. Jurel, with Kuldeep Yadav's help, took India past 300.
Jurel drove India to victory
India had a fluent start to their run-chase. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 84 runs, with the former slamming a half-century. India then lost Jaiswal, Rohit, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan within 36 runs. Jurel (39*) then paired up with Gill and regained momentum for India. He played patiently and showed terrific application against the English spinners.
Player of the Match in Ranchi
As mentioned, Jurel was adjudged the Player of the Match in Ranchi. According to ESPNcricinfo, he became the second-youngest Indian wicket-keeper to win the award in Test cricket, after Ajay Ratra. The latter won it at 20 years and 148 days, against West Indies in 2002. Overall, Jurel became the fifth-youngest wicket-keeper to be adjudged the Player of the Match in Tests.
A brilliant 46 in first innings in Rajkot
Jurel impressed one and all with a crucial 46-run knock on his Test debut in Rajkot. The wicketkeeper-batter brilliantly tackled the England bowlers in the first innings of the third Test in Rajkot. Having faced 104 balls, he smoked two boundaries and three maximums. He recorded the second-highest score by a designated Indian keeper in their maiden Test innings.
Who is Dhruv Jurel?
The 23-year-old Jurel hails from Agra, Uttar Pradesh. He was the vice-captain of the India Under-19 team in the 2020 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup. Rajasthan Royals signed him for Rs. 20 lakh in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The Uttar Pradesh star first came into the limelight by scoring 736 runs in his debut season in the Cooch Behar Trophy.
