Jurel lifts India’s bleak batting mood ahead of Australia Tests

Mumbai: For an India Test team that has landed in Australia still reeling from the collective batting slumps at home against New Zealand, it would surely be a welcome ray of sunshine. While the bunch of specialist batters in India A failed in the second unofficial Test loss to Australia A, they might have found the most assured candidate for the upcoming series – Dhruv Jurel. Dhruv Jurel plays a shot on the third day of the unofficial Test between India A and Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. (AFP)

On a challenging Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch last week where the top order tumbled twice, the 23-year-old produced back-to-back fifties, showing excellent technique and a positive approach that is so vital on Australian pitches where the ability to deal with pace and bounce is a must.

For sub-continent batters, it’s always a challenge to make that adjustment. The degree of difficulty increases if there is grass on the surface allows seam movement besides the bounce. MCG threw up that challenge in the second game of India’s shadow tour.

The in-form specialist batters picked for India A were all there, but most struggled to adapt despite having played in the first unofficial Test at Mackay, which the visitors lost. The ‘keeper-batter, a member of the Test squad, was picked to play his first tour game and only he crossed fifty in the match, scoring 80 and 68 to go with five catches. As if batting on a different pitch, he played some scintillating shots coming in at No.6.

The potential Jurel showed is immense. On his Test debut against England at home early this year, he played a series of invaluable knocks. Starting with a patient 104-ball 46 on debut at Rajkot, every time he walked into bat, he made a difference to the team’s fortunes. In his second Test at Ranchi, he pulled India out of a hole with a priceless 90, lifting them from 177/7 to 307. He returned in the second innings to anchor a tricky chase with an unbeaten 39 to claim the Player-of-the-Match.

The Agra-born player has hardly put a foot wrong since. But when you are competing against a once-in-a-generation player like Rishabh Pant, playing opportunities get restricted. It’s all the more difficult for a keeper-batter – there’s only one spot. In Australian cricket history, it happened when the sensational Adam Gilchrist donned the gloves. It prevented Brad Haddin from making his Test debut till he was 30.

So, the question is how does Indian cricket handle a talent like Jurel? Since Pant’s comeback in September, Jurel hasn’t got a Test.

There are past examples of two keeper-batters featuring in the eleven, one purely as a batter. In the 1980s, with Kiran More as first-choice ‘keeper, Mumbai stumper Chandrakant Pandit won his first cap as a specialist batter. In three of his five Tests, Pandit was selected as a middle-order batter. With Jurel’s burgeoning career running parallel to Pant’s, his best bet could be as a specialist batter.

For Pandit, it is advantage India. “I always believe in the man in form,” said the man who has built an enviable record as coach in domestic cricket.

“It was a similar scenario with Kiran and me. There is a situation now with Pant and Jurel, they both are good keepers and excellent batters. Both are in form, it’s a great advantage for India. We are not talking about a keeper who can contribute 30 runs, but both are capable of scoring hundreds. Jurel is a good fielder too. It is up to what they are looking at,” said Pandit.

“When I say it is an advantage to have Jurel as a batting option, I am not saying other batters are not good enough, but (it is about) who is successful in particular conditions, to control that situation. Like in England, who is good to handle the swing and seam? Different grounds will have different conditions and accordingly you can change the playing XI,” said Pandit, for whom Jurel’s versatility as a batter was apparent after he ground out a 104-ball 46 on debut. “Jurel is not a defensive player, but when required he can also play that role. Pant is a very dominating player, whatever conditions or situation, he will look to dominate. These are two different types of players, and both are very good.”

Former Australia captain and keeper, Tim Paine, is also impressed by Jurel. Paine watched Jurel’s batting first-hand as Australia A coach. “He’s 23 and he’s played three Tests, but he looked a class above all of his teammates, to be fair, and handled the pace and bounce really well, which can be unusual for an Indian player,” Paine said on the SEN Tassie social media show.

“He scored one of the more polished 80s I’ve seen, and we were all sitting around as staff of Cricket Australia and thinking, ‘Wow, this guy can seriously play’,” Paine said. “After seeing him bat – even though he’s a wicketkeeper, from what I’ve seen on this tour and from India’s batting in the last couple of months, I’d be staggered if he doesn’t play.”

Jurel’s chance is unlikely to come straightaway in the Test series, but with his impressive showing he will be the first option the captain looks at if any of the specialist batters struggle to cope.

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