Former India opener Aakash Chopra is of the view that Dhruv Jurel can be used as a specialist batter in Test cricket. According to him, the wicketkeeping skill of Jurel should be viewed not as an obstacle but rather an added advantage as far as the selection of the team is concerned.
India took control of Day 2 of the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, with a decisive score of 448-5, and a huge lead of 286 runs. It was a good day in the history of India as Jurel (125), KL Rahul (100) and Ravindra Jadeja (104*) all made a century, and captain Shubman Gill made 50.
Jurel was also included in the playing XI replacing Rishabh Pant who has not fully recovered yet. In his post-day play interview, Chopra complimented the young wicketkeeper-batter and said that his calmness and skill suggest that he can be used as a fall-back in the batting team, even when not selected as a keeper.
“He definitely can. The way he has batted, he has shown that he has the ability. Whenever he has got the opportunity to bat, he has demonstrated that his ability is no less than that of a top-order batter. The fact that he is a keeper is a skill that should go in his favor. It should not go against him. Jurel can definitely play as a specialist batter,” Chopra told ESPN Cricinfo.
Jurel batted at No. 5 in the Ahmedabad Test against the West Indies on Friday and struck 125 from 210 balls, including 15 fours and three sixes. The wicketkeeper-batsman and Jadeja shared a 206-run fifth-wicket stand.
Dhruv Jurel has played one Test as specialist batter
The current Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad is Jurel’s sixth for India. Interestingly, he has only played one match as a specialist batter. Moreover, both Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel were named to the playing XI for the first Test against Australia in Perth in November 2024. However, the latter struggled against some excellent bowling. He scored 11 runs in the first innings and was caught lbw for one in the second.
In addition, looking at his overall Test statistics, the right-handed batter has accumulated 380 runs in nine innings at an average of 47.50. Furthermore, his highest score so far is 150, which highlights his potential to deliver big performances for India in the future. Consequently, although his career is still young, Jurel has already shown glimpses of promise at the international level.
