India’s middle-order batter Dhruv Jurel shared a crucial partnership with Rishabh Pant and helped India progress towards posting a big first innings score in the second Test against Sri Lanka. On Day 2 of the second Test at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, Jurel remained unbeaten on 95 before heavy rain played spoilsport during the second session. He ended up breaking former India captain MS Dhoni’s record for highest score at no.7 by an Indian batter on Sri Lankan soil.
In July 2010, Dhoni had scored 76 runs from 138 balls against Sri Lanka in Colombo Test. Overall, only four India batters at no.7 have recorded a fifty-plus Test score on Sri Lankan soil.
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Jurel to join Indian legends?
Jurel is five runs away from becoming fourth India batter to score a Test century at no.7 against Sri Lanka. Ravindra Jadeja (175 not out), Kapil Dev (163), Dhoni (110 and 100 not out) have done it in the past.
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Jurel to enter Hadlee, Inzamam’s elite list?
Jurel also has a chance to become eighth batter to score a Test century against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka at no.7. The list is topped by New Zealand's Richard Hadlee (151 not out), followed by Salman Agha (132 not out), Ireland's Curtis Campher (111), England's Ben Foakes (107), Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed (103) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (100 not out) and Bangladesh's Nasir Hossain (100).
Jurel shares partnerships with Pant, Suthar
At the end of Day 1's play, Jurel was batting on seven runs. Saransh Jain departed early and Rishabh Pant joined Jurel in the middle. Pant was retired hurt on a single-digit score on Day 1.
Jurel reached his half-century from 82 balls. He shared an 112-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Pant who scored 63 runs from 89 balls. Then, he shared a 39-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Manav Suthar who contributed with a 51-ball 18. Jurel was batting on 79 when Suthar departed. He tried to hold on to most of the strike as Mohammed Siraj joined him in the second session. He hit a four off Asitha Fernando in the 132nd over before rain interrupted play. An early team was taken due to heavy rain.