Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has rated Dhruv Jurel as an amazing Indian prospect and has backed him to impress in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, which will start in Perth on November 22. Paine took notice of Jurel's outstanding performance in the second unofficial Test match between Australia A and India A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), especially because of the young Indian's capacity to manage the bounce and pace that Australian grounds are known for.
Paine on Jurel
During the four-day match at the MCG, Jurel displayed his abilities by scoring 80 and 68 in his two innings. His confident batting in difficult circumstances has strengthened Paine's conviction that Jurel might surprise everyone in the eagerly awaited Test series between India and Australia.
"There’s a guy who has wicket-kept in a few Test matches for India. He averages 63 across the three Tests he’s played, and his name is Dhruv Jurel. Watching him bat, it was evident he has the temperament and skill for the longer format. Even though he’s primarily a wicketkeeper, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t feature in the series in some capacity," said Paine to SEN Tassie
In his three Test matches against England so far this year, Jurel averaged 63 runs at bat with scores of 46, 90, 39 not out, and 15. The former Australian captain, who also coached Australia A in the match, was pleased by his technique and composure in Melbourne when facing the Australian bowling squad on a pitch known for being bouncy.
"He's 23, and he looked a class above all his teammates on this tour. A lot of players from the subcontinent find it difficult to adjust to our conditions, but Jurel looked right at home. He’s someone who handled the pace and bounce extremely well, which is unusual for an Indian batter at the MCG," said Paine
As India prepare to take on Australia's powerful fast-bowling trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, Paine offers his high compliments. Even though Rishabh Pant is anticipated to play for the visitors, Paine thinks that if Jurel does not keep wickets, his batting ability might justify a position as a specialist batter.
"Keep an eye out for him this summer. I think he's going to impress a lot of Australian fans. It’s going to be another step up against the big three, but he looks like he has the game to play Test cricket," he added.
