Before December 2022, Rishabh Pant was an automatic choice in any condition in India Test Team. With him out after a near-fatal car crash, India Cricket Team struggled to fill in the void. India tried out KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul. However, there is a new kid on the block. Dhruv Jurel with an outstanding 90-run knock in his third Test innings has become a competitor for Rishabh Pant. In a tough situation, Jurel was India’s man-Friday in IND vs ENG Ranchi Test as he played out of skin to keep India in the match. That 90-run knock has also all but ended any hopes for KS Bharat.
Missed century
It wasn’t a handsome knock like Rishabh Pant would have played. Jurel did attack in phases but batting with tail-enders, he showed patience. He had a 76-run stand with Kuldeep Yadav after India were down to 177/7 and staring at a huge first-innings deficit. But he kept going.
Jurel’s Test fifty came in 96 balls. But then he unleashed the big shots. His 90-run knock was laced with 6 fours and 4 sixes.
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Dhruv Jurel vs Rishabh Pant?
With Rishabh Pant making a comeback in the IPL 2024, if everything goes well, he will contest for a spot in the Test squad for Bangladesh series at home.
Dhruv Jurel has already made a strong case for himself not just with the bat but also behind the stumps. He has kept wickets well against spin and inflicted a superb run out of Ben Duckett. With that Rishabh Pant may have to wait for a while. Jurel could get the nod if he follows the IND vs ENG Ranchi Test heroics with two good scores in Dharamsala Test and IPL 2024.
That half-century in Ranchi also puts Dhruv Jurel in the scheme of things for T20 World Cup 2024 with no one yet to take a solid stake.
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