In just his second Test match, Dhruv Jurel made a big impression against England on Day 3 in Ranchi with a calm 90-run innings. Soon after the third Test day began, Jurel, a veteran of the Kargil War, celebrated his fiftieth birthday.
More than just a demonstration of brilliance, his innings saw the son of a veteran grant his father’s dream and lead his team out of a difficult situation against a formidable England team. Guiding the lower-order hitters with unshakable conviction, Jurel demonstrated his will to succeed at the highest level.
In the press conference following the game, the wicketkeeper-batter disclosed having a particular chat with his father prior to Day 3. Jurel also displayed a salute as a sign of respect towards his father.
For my dad, that was. He saw action in the Kargil War. “Son, at least show me a salute,” he remarked subtly when I spoke to him yesterday. For all of my formative years, I have been doing it. When his most memorable day in the sport so far came to a close, Jurel commented, “It was for him.”
Before deciding to retire voluntarily, Dhruv Jurel’s father, Nem Chand, valiantly fought in the 1999 Kargil conflict as a retired Havildar in the armed services.
Despite India being at 161 for five, the 23-year-old Jurel showed incredible forbearance and poise to steady the innings in the face of a huge challenge. First paired with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (28), Jurel and the batsman put up a vital 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Naturally, there will be some pressure because this is my first Test series. When I first arrived, though, all I could think about was what the team required from me. In the post-third-day media session, Jurel discussed his strategy. “The longer I stay here and make runs, the better for me,” he stated.
Along with rookie Akash Deep, Jurel contributed 40 significant runs for the ninth wicket during the morning session. Even though Jurel fell short of a century by just ten runs, his strong performance allowed India to cut their lead to just 46 runs when playing England. In the end, it would be crucial to the game as India limited the visitors to just 145 runs in the opening session, requiring only a manageable 192 runs to win the series.
