Dhruv Jurel accused of disrespecting legacy of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli after another failure at No.4
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In Shubman Gill's absence, Dhruv Jurel was promoted to a very crucial role in India's Test lineup; however, he is yet to prove his prominence in the role and rather gave away his wicket with some irresponsible shot play in the first Test in Guwahati.
India are hosting South Africa for a two-match Test series, and the first match saw the defending champions of the WTC trashing the home side under spin-prevalent conditions. The second match started on a fairer pitch with better batting conditions.
However, India have not batted as the Proteas batters did in the first innings. While the Proteas kept scoring runs with ease, the Indians struggled to get past even 200. They crept past the double hundred mark but could not go past the follow-on score as well.
Dhruv Jurel's dismissal in the first innings was assessed bluntly by a former Indian wicket-keeper
Young Indian wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel came to the limelight after he substituted for an injured Rishabh Pant during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Dhruv Jurel then replaced Pant for the West Indies tour and batted stunningly for his maiden Test hundred.
Dhruv Jurel continued his form in the unofficial Tests against South Africa and scored a hundred in either innings of the second unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A. He was hence drafted into the team despite Rishabh Pant's return.
Despite no strong resistance from the batter at the Eden Gardens, he was promoted to the most important role in the Indian batting order, the position of No. 4. He replaced captain Shubman Gill, after the skipper was ruled out due to a neck spasm.
The No. 4 position holds immense legacy within the Indian team, as the great Sachin Tendulkar and then later Virat Kohli batted in the position in their Test careers, and their records speak of their greatness.
Even if the Tea break hadn't been close, this shot was not on - Parthiv Patel
Dhruv Jurel will have to face the heat and pressure of batting in such a crucial role. More than scoring runs, what matters the most in such roles is their keenness to continue batting and keep their composure.
After Dhruv Jurel was handed the No. 4 position in the absence of Shubman Gill, his innings was short-lived, and he was dismissed for a duck off 11 balls. But what angered the fans more was his poor shot selection, and former Indian opener Parthiv Patel has a very blunt assessment of Dhruv Jurel's dismissal in the first innings.
"Even if the Tea break hadn't been close, this shot was not on. He is deservedly playing as a batter because he has scored a lot of runs. However, here, he wasn't in control at all. Generally, when the ball is outside the right shoulder of a right-handed batter, and you try to play it on the leg side, you are not in control. That ball mostly goes in the air, and that's what happened here," the cricketer-turned-commentator said on Star Sports.
After Kohli's retirement, even Shubman Gill took up the role as India's new No. 4 with some grace and promised exciting batting antics.
"Secondly, when you are playing Marco Jansen, you need to keep the extra bounce in mind because he is so tall. He has let go of a third consecutive opportunity. He is getting to bat at No. 4. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli used to bat at No. 4. Shubman Gill is batting at No. 4 now. He has also scored a lot of runs," he added.
South Africa eyeing a clean sweep as they propel their lead past 400
South Africa are not willing to let things go off easily here in India. It's been ages since South Africa dominated India with so much authority in the subcontinent. After a low-scoring win over India at the Eden Gardens, they have now set the tone for a high-scoring finish in Guwahati.
Reaching the 150 mark in this innings as well, they have extended their lead from 288 to nearly 450, and they will be looking to post 500 runs on the board before they call India in for a chase.
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India National Cricket Team Dhruv Jurel South Africa National Cricket Team India vs South Africa South Africa vs India Sachin Tendulkar Virat Kohli Parthiv Patel
