- Saturday, July 27, 2024
The 23-year-old India wicket-keeper-batter came to his team’s rescue on two occasions in the match and guided it to a series-winning victory.
By: Shubham Ghosh
ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes lauded India wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel after the youngster played two crucial knocks in the fourth Test match between the two countries at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi to guide his side to a series-winning five-wicket victory.
At a press conference after the game, the England captain not only praised the 23-year-old Jurel’s batting and wicket-keeping skills but also joked that Jurel’s England counterpart Ben Foakes had a ‘man crush’ on the Indian cricketer, who comes from a military background.
Jurel played two knocks of 90 and 39 not out and on both occasions, they bailed India out of trouble. In the first innings, the hosts were reduced to 177 for 7 when the wicket-keeper-batter’s gritty 90 took them to 307 in reply to England’s 353.
Read: Kohli congratulates India after hosts clinch England Test series
In the second innings, India were again in a spot of bother with five wickets down for 120 and it was Jurel again played a solid inning of 39 not out to ensure that India safely reached the target of 192 to win the match and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. He was adjudged the player of the match as the second youngest India and fifth youngest overall in Tests.
Read: ‘Crisis man’ Jurel shines again to help India beat England in 4th Test, seal series
“Both innings he’s played very well. His keeping was also something to watch – I think Ben Foakes has a little man crush on him there,” Stokes said after the match.
Jurel’s knocks came at the home ground of India’s legendary wicket-keeper-batter and World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He came into the scene after KS Bharat failed with the bat in the first two matches. While Bharat’s glovework also came under the scanner at times, Jurel was praised for his skills behind the stumps.
