Can India find a place for Dhruv Jurel in South Africa series?

Dhruv Jurel scored his maiden Test century against West Indies last month in the absence of an injured Pant before hitting back-to-back unbeaten and commanding tons in the second unofficial Test against South Africa ‘A’ in Bengaluru in the past seven days. Sudharsan’s indifferent returns at No. 3 since his debut at Leeds in June will test the team management’s resolve.

Dhruv Jurel scored his maiden Test century against West Indies last month (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: The tour of England three months ago allayed fears about the future of India’s Test batting lineup after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill’s emerged as a powerhouse at No. 4. Rishabh Pant’s stature at No. 5 kept growing. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal combined successfully as openers and Ravindra Jadeja at No.6 kept raising the bar.

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Yet, when they get down to picking their XI against South Africa for the first Test in Kolkata on Nov 14, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Gill will spend a fair bit of time to zero in on their No. 3. The selectors and the team management are willing to invest heavily in Sai Sudharsan at that spot after moving on from Karun Nair. But the rapid evolution of Dhruv Jurel may force the team management to create a spot for him. Jurel scored his maiden Test century against West Indies last month in the absence of an injured Pant before hitting back-to-back unbeaten and commanding tons in the second unofficial Test against South Africa ‘A’ in Bengaluru in the past seven days. Sudharsan’s indifferent returns at No. 3 since his debut at Leeds in June will test the team management’s resolve. TOI understands that the team management isn’t willing to do away with Sudharsan just yet. But there is a case for Jurel to get a run with the Test team. This team management has often been accused of being impatient with middle-order batters—dropping Sarfaraz Khan from its plans just being a case in point. Sources close to the team management told TOI that Jurel’s place is under consideration, but it would be unfair if it happens at Sudharsan’s expense. That puts Nitish Kumar Reddy’s place in the XI under the scanner. Gill’s reluctance to use Reddy with the ball in the Test series against West Indies last month challenges the team management’s desire to groom a proper seam-bowling allrounder.

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Devdutt Padikkal too is a viable option at no.3. “Padikkal has been part of the Test plans since the home series against England in Feb-March 2024. He got a half-century on debut and looked composed at Perth vs Australia last Nov even though he didn’t get many runs. He deserves to get a chance to fail, at least,” said a source close to the team management. “At this moment, Jurel looks to have the best technique to bat at No. 3. But the team management has to be clear with its vision because No. 3 will be a big call. If Jurel is only seen as a wicketkeeping backup for Pant, then it will be a problem in the long run. It’s tough for a wicketkeeper to consistently keep wickets and bat at No. 3 in Tests. Or else, he can come in for Reddy at No. 7, even though it’s very low for a proper batter to come in,” former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, who has been following this Indian team closely as a broadcaster, told TOI. India has seen smooth transitions at No. 4 from Sachin Tendulkar to Kohli to Gill. The search for a stable No. 3 has been comparatively longer after the selectors moved on from Cheteshwar Pujara. Interestingly, Gill was the first choice for that position before he found his calling at No. 4. Former India selector Devang Gandhi reckoned the selectors must get down to strengthening the pool of Test batters. “As of now, they should give Sudharsan a longer run because he is young. But all the selectors need to spread out and cover as many domestic games as possible. It’s clear that there is a dry pool of backup batters in the Test format. Sudharsan hasn’t cemented his place. Padikkal isn’t getting runs even for India ‘A’. Jurel has made a strong case, but there doesn’t seem to be a definite plan regarding his role. And there is no backup opener with Abhimanyu Easwaran inspiring little confidence. This domestic season and the one next year will be hard work for the selectors,” Gandhi told TOI.

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