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Dhruv Jurel stood like a rock between England and their plans to bowl India cheaply as the youngster scored his maiden half-century to keep his team alive on Day 3 against England in Ranchi. Jurel’s career-best knock of 90 propelled India to 307, with Shoaib Bashir taking his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, and reduced the deficit to just 46 runs. Resuming the Indian innings at 219/7, Jurel gained confidence while his overnight partner Kuldeep Yadav resisted taking the total above 250. Immediately after England took the second new ball, Trevally hit a boundary down the ground off Ollie Robinson, who looked off-colour. Even Rahul Dravid applauded the knock from the dressing room.
Having impressed in his debut Test in Rajkot two weeks ago, with a score of 46, Jurel surpassed his previous highest score and kept India alive in their fight. When Jurel and Kuldeep came together, India were behind England by 176, and for them to have reduced it to less than 100. Special mention to Kuldeep, who remained tenacious at the other end, playing the longest innings of his Test career , but the vigil ended when he played on a delivery from James Anderson, giving the veteran England pacer his 698th Test wicket.
Also read: India vs England Live Score 4th Test Day 3
Jurel and Kuldeep batted well to add 76 runs for the eighth wicket before the partnership was broken. But despite the wicket, Jurel continued, taking a single from Tom Hartley to complete his 96-ball fifty. Jurel celebrated the milestone with a small nod to his father, while Rohit Sharma and Sarfaraz Khan gathered in the locker room to applaud the 23-year-old’s efforts. Remember, India were reeling at 177/7 when Jurel, their last recognized batsman, came in to bat, and over the course of the next four hours, the youngster has been exceptional in his strokeplay.
After Kuldeep was sacked, Jurel took matters into his own hands and unleashed a series of big hits. He hit four sixes and batted well with the tail before India’s luck ran out. Bashir had Akash Deep remove LBW to take India to the final wicket, and although Jurel inched closer to his milestone with a disdainful six over cow corner, Hartley outfoxed him before lunch.
Dhruv Jurel ‘another TME in the making’: Gavaskar
Jurel’s knock caught the attention of many, but his highest praise of the day, possibly of his career, came from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who called the young goalkeeper “another MSD in the making”. No doubt impressed with his batting, Gavaskar praised Jurel’s wicket-keeping, game awareness and presence of mind seeing shades of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni in him.
“Of course he has batted well, but his keeping, his work behind the stumps has been equally brilliant. Just looking at his knowledge of the game, I want to say that he is another MS Dhoni in the making. I know there can never be another MSD, but you know the presence of mind he has, MSD also when he started, that was it. And Jurel has that awareness of the game. Street cricketer,” Gavaskar said.
“Today a century was lost, but make no mistake, this young man will continue to add many centuries thanks to his presence of mind.”
India still has a long way to go in the match. On a surface that may not spin much but is certainly kept low, even a 46-run lead can be useful for England, who will not find it easy to bat in the third innings. Jurel’s vital innings is another big positive for India, who have already benefited from Sarfaraz Khan’s twin fifty in the Rajkot Test.