Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin: Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (5/51) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/22) helped India bundle out England for 145 in their second innings in the fourth Test and put India in a commanding position, needing 192 runs to win the match and take an unbeatable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series.But it was wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who scored 90 runs in India’s 1st innings, who gave India the chance to fight back in the match. Chasing 192 for victory, the hosts need a further 152 runs to win the series, with openers Rohit Sharma (24 runs, batting) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (16 runs, batting), holding fort.
Though he was instrumental in India getting the upper hand, Jurel missed a personal milestone. The debutant wicketkeeper is not unhappy to miss a maiden century as he helped India gain an advantage.
“There are no regrets. I want the team to win and lift the trophy. It was a beautiful moment, everyone was applauding and admiring but the only thing in my mind was the game is not over and I have to keep wickets next,” said Jurel in an exclusive chat with JioCinema’s Match Centre Live.
Jurel also talked about his cricket journey so far, his reaction to getting his Test cap and his parents’ role in his progress as a cricketer.
On his approach to batting on Sunday, she said, “I was not able to sleep last night. I was just thinking how I could spend more time in the middle, add runs and help the team. The more runs I scored, the less the team would require while chasing, so that was all I was thinking even while at the wicket today.”
Asked how he felt on receiving his Test cap, the wicketkeeper batter said, “The moment was very precious for me, everything was in slow motion at that moment, and I was just starting. My parents were very happy and emotional. Playing Test cricket was a childhood dream and it was coming true.”
Talking about his parents’ reaction to his debut, Jurel said, “My parents are very spiritual. When I called my dad for the match, he was confused. He said the runs that you score, dedicate it to the Gods.”
Jurel also talked about the difficult task of batting with the lower order. “The most important thing is having faith in the tail-enders. You need to make them feel confident about their batting, stay at the crease and make them believe that this is doable,” he said.
Talking about competition for places in the playing XI in First Class cricket, he said, “I have believed in putting in hard work since I was a child. If people put in 4-5 hours a day, I focused on giving 7-8 hours. There is no alternative to hard work. The competition is very tough in domestic cricket, so the only goal was to make the most of the opportunity you have.”
About his reaction to the India call-up, the 23-year-old from Uttar Pradesh said, “When I was named in the squad, I called my parents, and their happiness forced me to put it on social media. My mom doesn’t know much about the game, but she knew it was for India. My mom doesn’t watch a lot of cricket, is scared of me getting out, and she is very emotional. She just knows how many runs I scored and the catches I took.”
Asked about the difference between First Class and Test cricket, Jurel said, “There is not a lot of difference. It is just that the number of bad balls are less. You need to be more focussed and plan well, identify where you can play the shots and which bowler to target and all that.”
Jurel also caught the eye for his unique salute celebration after reaching his half-century. He said that was for his father. “Yes, that was for my father. Even in U-19 cricket when I scored, I used to celebrate this way. Even if my dad was not there on the ground, he must be watching it on TV, so it was for him,” he said.
On what his father said before the Test, the right-handed batter said, “He just said that be focused and play well, show me a salute on the ground, which meant he wanted me to score runs!”
Jurel will not hope to get another chance in the fifth Test and make the most of it by posting his first Test century. Cementing his place in the Indian Test team will be his next target.