Dhruv Jurel is set to play his 5th Test this Thursday. This chance came because India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant hurt his toe while batting in the 4th Test against England in Manchester.
Jurel first played Test cricket when Pant was absent last year during the home series against England and played 3 of those 5 games. He played a 4th Test against Australia in Perth as a specialist batter with Pant present. Now Jurel will play another Test, again standing in for Pant whose tour of England ended early.
The 5th Test at The Oval will be Jurel’s first Test in England. Though it’s not the first time he’s been on the field in the series against England. During the 3rd Test at Lord’s, Pant injured his finger while fielding a ball from Jasprit Bumrah and Jurel took over as wicketkeeper. In Manchester when Pant was hit on the boot while trying to sweep, Jurel filled in again.
Jurel said playing a Test at Lord’s was a dream come true. What happened with Rishabh was unfortunate. It’s always a dream to play at Lord’s, Jurel said in a video shared by BCCI. I always thought about playing at Lord’s since I was a kid, so I was really enjoying the moment. It was a great experience.
Jurel said he’s been getting advice from Pant. Rishabh is a senior player. He told me where to stand and how to move my feet. I’ve been working on that with Dilip (the fielding coach), he said.
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The 24-year-old is looking forward to do well in this overseas Test and play against England as India tries to level the series. It’s always special to overcome challenges overseas. People will rate you even more if you do well, so I am very excited to just go out there and be myself, Jurel said. “I am excited to play because this match is important for us. I am excited to do what I can to help the team win.
For Jurel who has scored 202 runs in 6 innings with an average of 40.40, a team player is someone who helps the team move forward in any way they can. A team player is someone who does whatever he can—whether he’s playing or not—to help the team win, Jurel said.
