Unofficial Test: KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel to join India
KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel will leave for Australia before the main Indian cricket team. The wicketkeeper-batters will play the second unofficial Test between India A and Australia A. This comes after they had limited participation in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand, where India suffered a 0-3 defeat. The First-class match at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is likely to give them a good experience before the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins.
Rahul's performance in recent Test series
Rahul played the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru but was dropped for the rest of the series as Sarfaraz Khan cemented a middle-order spot. Meanwhile, Jurel has been a backup wicketkeeper since Rishabh Pant's return and didn't get a chance to play during the home season. He only came in during the final stages of a Test when Pant injured his knee.
India A's performance in 1st unofficial Test
India A, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, faced a seven-wicket loss in the first unofficial Test against Australia A in Mackay. The team was bundled out for 107 runs in their first innings but displayed some fight in their second innings. However, Nathan McSweeney's Australian side cruised to a comfortable win to lead the series 1-0.
Rahul, Jurel's only game-time before Border-Gavaskar series
The upcoming clash against Australia A will be the only game-time Rahul and Jurel will get before the Border-Gavaskar series. The Indian team had planned an intra-squad match, but it was called off as the management decided to focus on match simulation and net sessions at the center wicket in Perth. As per a report by The Indian Express, both players are expected to arrive in Australia by Tuesday morning (November 5).
