Star India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has come under scrutiny after his recent performances across formats and according to a report in The Times of India, he was asked by the team management to improve
his Test batting to remain in contention for a spot in the playing XI.
Jurel scored 125 against West Indies in October, but since then, he has returned scores of 44, 6*, 14, 13, 0, 2 and 19, which hasn’t inspired a lot of confidence in the Indian team management.
Jurel is expected to start in the first Test against Sri Lanka, but with Sarfaraz Khan now in the mix, the former would be wary that his spot can be snatched away at any time in case of flawed performances.
As per the report, the team management was far from satisfied with his performances in Kolkata and Guwahati and reminded him that he would need to improve his batting to remain in contention as a specialist batter.
Then came the white-ball assignments, the IPL and a one-off Test against Afghanistan, where Jurel would have been disappointed to return with just 19 runs.
The report suggests that the management has been surprised by Jurel’s low scores and the manner in which he has given his wicket away.
The Galle Test could present Jurel with an opportunity to put an end to his run of low scores in Tests and justify the faith placed in him by the selectors and team management over the past two years, according to the report.
Despite receiving considerable backing from the team management, Jurel is yet to cement his place in the playing XI, even as a specialist batter alongside first-choice Test wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
With India keen to add a right-handed batter to the middle order and the management reluctant to revisit Karun Nair, Jurel emerged as the frontrunner for extended chances as a specialist batter.
