For good six months now, or probably earlier, entire India has been debating, as to who should be Test team’s no.3. Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan were the choices in England, but all they could manage is one fifty each and ended with averages in their 20s. Post that, in the West Indies series, domestic veteran Karun Nair was completely overlooked, which remains to be the case in the upcoming South Africa series too. Sudharsan is still there though.
But do we really need him at no. 3, with keeper-batter doing exceptional things. Let’s just start with the most recent ones. In the IND A vs SA A 2nd Test, Jurel has scored his second ton in as many innings, after he scored 132 not out in the first, when India were 126/7. Of course, during the West Indies second Test, he got his maiden ton in Ahmedabad, where he scored 125.
But his good patch of form traces back to IND A vs AUS A and even IND A vs ENG Lions. Against the Aussie side, he scored 140 and a 56 in Lucknow, whereas against the Lions, he returned with consistent scores of 94, 53, 52, and 28. All this just goes on to show, that Dhruv Jurel deserves to the no. 3 batter that India has been desiring for.
While saying this, one must admit that Rishabh Pant remains the keeper-batter in the side, but on pure, sheer batting class, Jurel deserves to be in the Test XI. No. 3 is one spot that he can make his own, given the struggles others have had in the past. Or if, the management isn’t confident, he could tried out at 5-6, with Shubman Gill at no. 3.
The post No more a back-up! Dhruv Jurel pushes his case for permanent role as specialist batter after twin ton vs SA A appeared first on Inside Sport India.