Dhruv Jurel made his Test debut in the 2024 home series against England. His opportunity came because of the unfortunate car accident of Rishabh Pant and then KS Bharat failing to grab his chances.
Jurel proved his mettle straightaway in that series by scoring 190 runs in four innings at an average of 63, which was only bettered by Yashasvi Jaiswal among Indians.
But when Pant returned, he took his spot back by virtue of being the incumbent keeper of the Test team. Jurel was now the designated first-choice backup, with Bharat shunned away.
Over the last couple of years, Jurel has waited patiently for his opportunity and grabbed it whenever Pant has been injured.
Jurel produced some solid knocks in Pant’s absence, including a maiden Test century in Ahmedabad last year against the West Indies.
The 25-year-old from Agra has been so impressive that now the management has played him alongside Pant in the Test XI. Of Jurel’s 12 Tests, six have included Pant in the lineup, including one in Australia and two in Sri Lanka.
Jurel’s record after his century is outstanding: in 12 Tests, he averages 40 with a strike rate of 59, and only Gill and Jaiswal have scored more runs than Jurel in the Test matches that he has featured in.
Jurel registered his second Test century in the IND vs SL 2nd Test in Colombo and, incidentally, he formed a crucial 112-run partnership with Pant, driving India beyond 400, and later on, his propelled the score to over 500 as he crossed the three-figure mark for the second time in his Test career.
IND vs SL 2nd Test: Here are some key records that Dhruv Jurel made in his century knock against Sri Lanka in Colombo
Jurel breaks Hardik’s record
With his 115*, Jurel now has the highest Test score by an Indian batsman batting at No. 7 or below in Sri Lanka. Hardik had smashed 108 in 2017 in Pallekele while coming in at the No. 8 position.
Jurel joins Richard Hadlee, Vettori on an elite list
Dhruv joined the likes of Hadlee, Vettori, and Agha on a list of only 22 instances of an opposition batsman batting at No. 7 or below to record a Test century in Sri Lanka. Jurel’s 115* is the fourth-highest score on this list.
Highest Test scores by visiting batsmen from No.7 or lower in Sri Lanka:
- 151* – Richard Hadlee (New Zealand), Colombo (SSC), 1987
- 140 – Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Colombo (SSC), 2009
- 132* – Salman Agha (Pakistan), Colombo (SSC), 2023
- 115* – Dhruv Jurel (India), Colombo (SSC), 2026
Jurel-Pant create record with century stand
Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant’s seventh-wicket stand of 112 runs from 152 balls is the highest partnership by an Indian pair for the 7th wicket or lower in Sri Lanka.
This is merely the second time an Indian duo has recorded a century stand in Sri Lanka for the seventh wicket and lower. The previous instance was in 2015, when Amit Mishra and Cheteshwar Pujara put on a 104-run partnership in Colombo (SSC).
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
