Dhruv Jurel stood like a rock of Gibraltar, this time along with Shubman Gill to yet again rescue India and canter them to five wicket victory over England on Day 4 of the fourth Test on February 26. With this India have also sealed the five-contest series with a match to spare. The victory also marked their 17th successive series win on home soil and delivered a stern reality check to England's Bazball approach.
Solid start from Rohit-Jaiswal
Starting the day at 40/0 in pursuit of 192, India reached their target despite encountering some difficulties. The opening partnership of captain Rohit Sharma (55 off 81 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (37 off 44 balls) laid a solid foundation with their 84-run stand on the fourth day.
The team faced a tense moment after losing both openers and then Rajat Patidar and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession, but Shubman Gill (52 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (39 not out) steered India to victory with a crucial 72-run partnership.
Tom Hartley, the left-arm spinner, claimed the important wicket of Rohit, while Shoaib Bashir emerged as England's leading bowler, taking 3/79 in the second innings and totaling eight wickets in the match.
India lead series 3-1
With this win, India lead the series 3-1, with the final match set to be played in Dharamsala starting March 7. India's last defeat in a home series was against England in 2012-13 under Alastair Cook's captaincy. Since then, India has won 39 out of 50 Tests played at home.
The victory underscores the challenges of 'Bazball', England's aggressive playstyle since 2022 under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, which faced criticism for its inflexibility and lack of versatility.
Despite England's steadfast adherence to their aggressive approach, including a conservative century by Joe Root in this series, India's adaptability and resilience shone through, highlighting the visitors' first series loss under the Stokes-McCullum partnership and their first time losing three consecutive Tests.
India seal series despite Kohli's absence
England's initial victory in Hyderabad was seen as a potential upset for the Indian team, already missing the services of cricket icon Virat Kohli due to personal reasons and the sidelined K L Rahul due to injury. Contrary to expectations, the inclusion of new talents invigorated the squad, as they seized their chances impressively. Be it Sarfaraz Khan's performance in Rajkot or the contributions from wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel and fast bowler Akash Deep in subsequent matches, the team benefited from the fresh enthusiasm brought into play.
Jurel played a pivotal role in clinching the series with a resilient 90-run innings in the first innings and a crucial brief stint in the second, both under high-pressure circumstances.
On Monday, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal kicked off with a positive stance. Rohit skillfully managed James Anderson's opening over before executing a swat flick for a six against the seasoned bowler.
As Bashir bowled from the other end, India accelerated, scoring rapidly through both singles and boundaries. Anderson's attempt to prevent a boundary from Jaiswal's bat showed the team's urgency but to no avail.
Rohit and Jaiswal adeptly managed the spinners' low bounce, with Rohit taking the lead in their partnership and surpassing 9,000 runs in first-class cricket.
Faced with challenges, Stokes introduced Joe Root to disrupt the Indian batsmen's rhythm, and Root managed to do just that, targeting the rough patches effectively.
Jaiswal's attempt at an inside-out shot ended with Anderson making a spectacular diving catch at backward point.
Stokes then adjusted his bowling strategy, relying on his spin duo, Bashir and Hartley, to curb India's run rate.
The pressure was on Gill to keep the scoreboard ticking, which in turn, affected Rohit's scoring as the boundaries became scarce, putting India in a difficult position.
Hartley's tight bowling eventually paid off with Rohit's wicket, outsmarted by flight and spin, with Ben Foakes completing the stumping. Although Rohit was out of his crease, he was given out caught behind after a slight touch was detected.
Jurel-Shubman come to India's rescue
Bashir's dismissal of Jadeja and Sarfaraz in consecutive deliveries post-lunch seemed to complicate India's chase. However, Gill and Jurel formed a partnership to stabilise the innings.
Jurel's exquisite cover drive off Bashir broke a boundary drought, reviving hopes for an Indian victory, which suddenly appeared within reach.
With the target reducing to under 50, Gill heightened the momentum by hitting Bashir for consecutive sixes, inching closer to securing the win.
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