With India's vice-captain, Rishabh Pant, ruled out of the Indian vs England 5th Test due to a toe injury, young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel is all set to shoulder the full-time responsibility behind the stumps in the fifth and final Test against England. The 24-year-old, who has featured in the last two Tests at Lord's and Manchester, is now eyeing a strong finish to the series as India looks to square things up at 2-2.
Dhruv Jurel eager to make his mark overseas
For Jurel, the opportunity to perform in overseas conditions is a valuable chance to establish his credentials on the international stage. Speaking to BCCI TV, he said, "To overcome challenges when you go overseas is always a special thing. If you perform overseas, people will rate you high so I am very excited, just want to go out and express myself,"
He further added,"A team man is one who does that one thing - whether you are playing or not which helps the team win,". Speaking about his debut outing at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, Jurel described it as a dream come true. He said, "I used to think about playing at Lord's since childhood so I was just feeling the moment. The experience of playing there was great. First of all, what happened with Rishabh bhaiya was very unfortunate. When I went in to keep the wickets... it's always a dream to play at Lord's."
Dhruv Jurel on getting guidance from Rishabh Pant
While the responsibility is immense, In the video Jurel revealed drawing strength and guidance from senior players, particularly Rishabh Pant, whose absence has opened the door for his inclusion.
"Rishabh bhaiya is a senior player, he told me on which line I can take the stance and about the feet movement and that is something I have been working on off the field with (T) Dilip sir (fielding coach),"
Dhruv Jurel's test career so far
The right-hander, who debuted against England last year in Rajkot, has made a promising start to his Test career. In just four matches so far, he has scored 202 runs at an average of 40.40, including a gritty half-century. One of his standout performances came in Ranchi, where he played a crucial role in India’s five-wicket win alongside Shubman Gill.
