Dhruv Jurel repays Gambhir-Gill's faith with timely fifty against Sri Lanka

Dhruv Jurel said he felt no pressure during his lean phase, credited coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for their backing, and vowed India would target all 20 wickets.

Dhruv Jurel on Sunday said he was not under any "pressure" despite failing to notch up a fifty in his last seven innings, and thanked head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for giving him confidence during the lean phase.

Jurel made a 68-ball 51 on the second day of the first Test, playing an important hand to lead India to a formidable 460 for nine against Sri Lanka in Galle.

"There was, honestly, no pressure. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to represent India. That's the only privilege that I play for," Jurel said in the post-day press conference.

"So whenever I speak to the captain or head coach, they always tell me what to do, what the situation is. So, tell me to play accordingly. There is no personal milestone that I look for before batting. I just go there and do what the team needs," he said.

India A Stint Helps Jurel Make Most of Galle Chance

Jurel had played at this same venue for India A in the lead-up to the Test series, and the middle-order batter said the experience stood him in good stead here.

"We came here 10 days before. We practiced in Colombo and before that played for India A, and we had 4-5 sessions. It's all about batting on these kinds of surfaces as much as I can.

"It improves my batting, knows the environment, and knows the situation. So it's really helpful," he noted.

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Jurel Outlines India’s Measured Approach After Rain Delays

The 25-year-old said the team wanted to make as many runs as possible after losing two sessions to rain and wet outfield, but without throwing caution to the wind.

"You can say that the plan was that we can make as many runs as possible. The plan was not that from the ball once, we are going bonkers.

"The plan was that we can make as many runs as possible by playing sensible cricket and make some good partnerships at the lower order," he said.

Jurel Looks Forward to Strong Bowling Effort

Jurel acknowledged that the pitch is still good for batting and the Indian bowlers will most likely have to put in a long spell on the third day.

"I think we will have to put in a lot of long spells, just like SL bowlers and we will have to be consistent. There is no rocket science. We need to put balls in great areas. That's all and we have to keep it simple.

"We will have to play with determination if we want to win the match, we need to take those 20 wickets."

Jurel was delighted for his teammate Devdutt Padikkal, who made a wonderful 167.

"He has already made runs for India A and now here. So, whenever he gets a chance, he gets runs. So as a fellow cricketer, it feels good that he is doing great for India," he added.

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