Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes that it will be very hard for the head coach and captain to drop Dhruv Jurel from the Test playing XI following his performance in the second four-day match against South Africa A. Notably, Jurel scored centuries in both the innings during India A second four-day encounter against the Proteas. He remained unbeaten on 132 in the first innings, guiding the Men in Blue to a respectable total of 255 before playing another sensational knock of 127 on the second occasion. Thanks to his ton, India A set up a formidable target of 417 for the visitors.
Thoroughly impressed by Jurel's performance, Ashwin praised the 24-year-old and remarked that it will be difficult for anyone to drop him from India's playing XI on the back of such superb performances in red-ball cricket.
“Dhruv Jurel is making it very hard for the coach and captain to drop him from the Test match coming up. 100's in both innings of the unofficial test against SA ‘A',” Ashwin wrote on X.
Jurel's fine form in red-ball cricket
Jurel had previously scored a century for India in the first Test of the two-match series against West Indies. With Rishabh Pant absent due to injury, the 24-year-old made the most out of the opportunity and played a fine knock of 125 at the Narendra Modi stadium as the Men in Blue won by an innings and 140 runs in what was a completely one-sided encounter.
Jurel's place not confirmed
However, with Pant making his much-awaited return to the squad for the upcoming home series against South Africa, it remains to be seen if Jurel will be able to find a place in the XI or not. India's first Test against the Proteas will commence from November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
India's squad for South Africa Tests: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep