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Former Australia captain Tim Paine applauded Dhruv Jurel for his fiery knocks in both the innings against Australia A. Notably, during both innings of the second tour game between India A and Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Jurel came up with knocks of 80 runs and 68 runs in first and second innings respectively. Moreover, in his debut five-match Test series against England, the wicketkeeper-batter scored 190 runs from four innings at an average of 63.33.
The 23-year-old has been picked by the selectors for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The first Test of the series is set to commence on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. While Jurel has been included in the squad, he might have to wait to make in the playing XI as Rishabh Pant will don the gloves.
I’d be surprised if he doesn’t feature in the series: Tim Paine
Ahead of the elite series, Paine heaped praise on the young wicketkeeper-batter and said that he would be surprised if Jurel is not featured in the series. Paine told SEN Tassie, “There’s a guy who has been wicket-keeping in a few Test matches for India. He averages 63 across the three Tests he’s played, and his name is Dhruv Jurel. Watching him bat, it was evident he has the temperament and skill for the longer format. Even though he’s primarily a wicketkeeper, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t feature in the series in some capacity.”
Praising Jurel, Paine said, “He's 23, and he looked a class above all his teammates on this tour. A lot of players from the subcontinent find it difficult to adjust to our conditions, but Jurel looked right at home. He’s someone who handled the pace and bounce extremely well, which is unusual for an Indian batter at the MCG.”
