As discussions around India's playing eleven for the first Test against England at Leeds continue, with questions over the presence of Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan in the playing XI, one name silently putting in work worthy of a spot on the teamsheet has been Dhruv Jurel.
Ever since his Test debut last year against England, Jurel has produced a solid body of work in first-class and Test cricket alike, even though he displayed a completely different avatar for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a finisher since his debut in 2023.
Before he got his Test cap from Dinesh Karthik, Jurel produced a gem of a knock against South Africa A in Benoni, scoring 69 in 166 balls in a drawn match back in December 2023.
During his debut series against England last year, Jurel was one of the youngsters, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, to make his mark as a batter, scoring 190 runs in four innings across three matches, at an average of 63.33.
On his debut at Rajkot, he produced a solid 46 in 104 balls. The fourth Test at Ranchi displayed the steely, determined side of this player, the son of a Kargil war soldier. He produced a brilliant 76-run stand with Kuldeep Yadav and a steady 146-ball 90, with six fours and four sixes, as he made sure India stayed in the match. It was only fitting that he hit the winning runs, scoring 39* in a chase of 192, stitching a 72-run stand with Shubman Gill after India was reduced to 120/5.
With this 'Player of the Match' performance, Jurel became one of India’s many 'crisis men', awaiting a regular spot. Suddenly, he became a perfect option as a back-up for superstar Rishabh Pant, displaying the toughness, balance and stability that Pant at times lacked due to his free-flowing, attacking game.
He followed this up with a solid 93 in 121 balls against Mumbai in the Irani Cup, battling the likes of Mohit Avasthi, Tanush Kotian and Shardul Thakur. The match ended in a draw, with Mumbai winning on the basis of a first-innings lead in October.
Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Jurel produced fine knocks of 80 and 68 against Australia A at Melbourne in testing conditions, tackling Aussie domestic veterans and internationals Michael Neser and Scott Boland with composure and assured strokeplay beyond his age.
He failed in his sole senior outing at Perth, scoring 11 and 1, falling to Mitchell Marsh and skipper Pat Cummins. Nothing worth complaining about though, as India secured a massive 295-run win under Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy.
During IPL 2024, Jurel enjoyed his most prolific season but could not finish matches owing to a lack of support from other batters or, simply, some fantastic bowling. His 333 runs in 13 innings at an average of 37.00, a strike rate of 156.33, and two fifties was a massive improvement and a positive for him on an individual front.
After RR bowed out early from the tournament, Jurel took a flight to England as part of the India A squad. He took to English conditions like a fish to water, scoring rapid half-centuries (94 and 53*) in the first unofficial Test. This was followed by an equally good performance of 52 and 28 in the second game.
His last six innings for India A are: 375 runs in six innings, at an average of 75.00, with five half-centuries. All of these knocks have come in England and Australia, two of the toughest places to bat.
At the time of writing, he averages 48.62 in first-class cricket, with 1,462 runs in 24 matches and 34 innings, including a century and 12 fifties.
In red-ball cricket, he has batted in three extremely difficult nations to navigate — England, Australia and South Africa. He has had a fine record against England and a good understanding of the team and its playing style after his debut against them. Experience of local conditions? Ticked.
With concerns over Rishabh Pant's form after a disastrous IPL and workload issues following his road accident in 2023, could Jurel find some game time as a keeper?
As India aims to transition smoothly from the retirements of legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, could Jurel find his way as a specialist middle-order batter?
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