Dhruv Jurel shines brightest in Ranchi as India unearth another star for the future

His efforts on debut in Rajkot slipped under the radar, and understandably so. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel had shown great promise with his 104-ball 46 in the third Test that helped India cross the 400-mark and post the highest total of the series.

That, however, ended up getting overshadowed by Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliant double-hundred, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja’s first innings tons, Mohammed Siraj’s superb spell on Day 3 and Jadeja’s fifer the following day as the hosts pulled off a record 434-run victory. Even when it came to the debutants, Sarfaraz Khan's sparking half-centuries in both innings were the bigger talking point, and the Mumbaikar had earned every bit of praise that had come his way.

The spotlight would finally shine on Jurel at Ranchi’s JSCA International Stadium and it would shine brightest with two match-defining knocks which helped the Agra-native not only win the Player of the Match award but also announce himself as a star in the making. One who could go on to play a big role in shaping India’s cricketing destiny down the road.

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Team India completed an incredible turnaround in Ranchi to pull off one of their finest victories in the format, a victory that is every bit special even if it came in the comfort of home conditions and in front of a home crowd.

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The hosts might have been mentally preparing themselves for a series decider in Dharamsala after getting reduced to 177/7 following a majestic hundred from Joe Root that helped England post 353. Unlike the Hyderabad Test, where the Indians ended up crashing to a 28-run loss despite collecting a 190-run first innings lead, India were in far more trouble nearly a month later as they stared at conceding a lead for the first time in the series, and a big one at that.

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The Indian batting was well into the tail after Ravichandran Ashwin was dismissed in the evening session on Day 2. Jurel managed to steer India past the 200-mark, stitching a steady partnership with Kuldeep Yadav to give them a sliver of hope. He perfectly mixed caution with aggression, blocking his way for the most part but not shying away from collecting the odd boundary when the opportunity presented itself.

Once he brought up his maiden half-century and was starting to lose partners quickly at the other end, Jurel ensured he got Team India past 300 with a flurry of fours and sixes off the spinners, especially Shoaib Bashir. Even if India failed to take the lead, getting past 300 and within touching distance of the English total would’ve given the Rohit Sharma-led side a psychological boost.

That boost turned into real hope of pulling off a series-leveling victory when the Indian spinners bossed the English batters for a second time in a week to ensure the target remained below 200. Openers Rohit and Jaiswal then shaved off 40 of the 192 runs needed in just eight overs to ensure Day 3 belonged entirely to them.

However, with the variable bounce at Ranchi combined with the cracks as well as the wear and tear was always going to make the chase a challenging one despite the strong start. England would’ve needed a wicket or two to claw their way back into the game; they ended up collecting five, for just 36 runs, to leave India at 120/5, with Bashir on a hat-trick after lunch. The pitch suddenly started appearing unplayable and the pressure was starting to get the better of the Indian batters.

Fortunately for the hosts, in-form Gill’s presence was still reassuring for the home dressing room. The Indian No 3, however, needed solid support from the other end if India were to get a big partnership at this stage and take the pressure back to Ben Stokes and Co. Gill had been holding his end up defiantly, having faced 65 deliveries for his 19 runs at the time of Jurel making his way out for a second time.

The Uttar Pradesh batter once again showcased his ability to adapt to the situation as well as his ability to not buckle under pressure, which had gotten the better of the likes of Sarfaraz and Jadeja in both innings. After surviving a nervy inside edge on his first delivery and blocking the next one, Jurel decided to charge down the pitch against a marauding Bashir to drive the ball down the ground for a single.

The following over he would collect back-to-back doubles off Tom Hartley, guiding the ball in opposite directions. And in the over that followed, Jurel and Gill were able to pinch a couple of singles each.

The scoreboard had suddenly started ticking once again, and it was during this phase that the momentum started to shift towards the Indians. It also helped take some pressure off Gill. Jurel didn’t succumb to pressure early the way Sarfaraz and Rajat Patidar did. Nor did he play a rash shot from out of the blue like Jadeja. Instead, he looked assured in his defence and at the same time, ensured India slowly made their way towards the target with steady accumulation of runs.

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It wasn’t long before Jurel had collected the first boundary after more than 30 overs, driving an overpitched delivery from Bashir through extra cover, making the most of a gift from the offie. At that point, you could tell that the dressing room was breathing a lot easier.

Another wicket at that stage could’ve allowed England to stage a late fightback and keep their series hopes alive. Gill and Jurel, however, refused to abandon that approach until about 20 runs were left for them to chase. Gill would then bring the equation down to single digits by thumping a couple of sixes off Bashir, bringing up his half-century in the process.

Jurel, on his part, collected a boundary off a somewhat mistimed pull in the following over, and would then get the honour of collecting the winning runs in a match in which he had the most impact. What made the knock even more impressive was the fact that it was blemishless, except for a heart-in-mouth moment when he was batting on 9 off 19, getting a thick leading edge off Hartley that ballooned over to backward point, and landed just short of Bashir.

“Whatever the situation demands, I want to do that. In our 1st innings, I thought the more runs I score now, the fewer runs we would have to in our 2nd innings. Our wickets were falling, and I was batting with lower-order batters, but we got partnerships with them. So they deserve some credit too.

“Focus was on seeing the ball, not the bowler. Gill and I were discussing about making small tasks. To approach the chase in sets of ten runs each,” Player of the Match Jurel said during the post-match presentation ceremony on how he aced the English spin challenge in what surely was the toughest wicket of them all so far in this series.

It was just as fitting that Jurel got to finish the game in the home city of one of the greatest finisher’s the ‘Gentleman’s Game’ has had the privilege of witnessing — MS Dhoni. Jurel had recalled his first meeting with Dhoni back in the 2021 Indian Premier League and how he was pinching himself standing next to the man who had masterminded some of India’s greatest triumphs ever including the 2011 ICC World Cup.

“Whenever I have talked to him, I have always learned something new from him. So I hope that I get a chance to meet him during the fourth Test at Ranchi,” Jurel had said ahead of the Ranchi Test.

Thank you Rohit bhaiya, Rahul sir for believing in this boy 🙏🇮🇳❤️ pic.twitter.com/pBlojvB10p

— Dhruv Jurel (@dhruvjurel21) February 26, 2024

Whether he gets to meet ‘Mahi’ in person in the Jharkhand capital before the team flies to the picturesque Dharamsala for the series finale remains to be seen. But with his heroics in just his second international appearance, he’s already started earning comparisons with the legendary wicketkeeper. Let’s not forget how assured he’s been with the gloves behind the stumps as he has with the bat for the likes of batting legend Sunil Gavaskar to describe him as the “next MS Dhoni”.

Whether he goes on to have a legendary career like that the Chennai Super Kings captain is something that only time will tell. But with such a fantastic start, he certainly appears to be headed in that direction.