Dhruv Jurel’s fate sealed as India Playing XI for 1st Test vs South Africa finalized

Former India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel has picked the playing XI of the home team for the first Test match of the upcoming series against the South Africa National Cricket Team.

Parthiv Patel also discussed whether Dhruv Jurel will get the opportunity to play against the Proteas amid his sensational form in red-ball cricket.

There will be only one question for India, and that will be at No. 6 - Parthiv Patel

The Men In Blue recently ended their tour to Australia, which consisted of a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series.

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India lost the ODI series 1-2 under the leadership of Shubman Gill, but continued their dominant run in T20I cricket by registering a 2-1 win over Mitchell Marsh & Co., as two matches were washed out due to rain.

Their next challenge is the home Test series against the reigning ICC World Test Champions, South Africa, who will come better prepared for the matches on the back of an all-format tour to Pakistan.

The Shubman Gill-led side and the Temba Bavuma-led side will clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the Test series opener from November 14. For the first Test, Parthiv Patel picked the playing XI of the hosts during a discussion on Star Sports. He said:

"Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul will open. Sai Sudharsan will be at No. 3, Shubman Gill at No. 4, and then you will see Rishabh Pant playing at No. 5. The No. 6 position is slightly tricky. Otherwise, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah," Parthiv said.

"There will be only one question for India, and that will be at No. 6, whether you want to play Nitish Reddy or Dhruv Jurel. It will be an early start in Kolkata. So can Nitish Reddy play the role of the third seamer? Then you can use Nitish Reddy with two seamers, and three spinners will come in the second innings," he added.

I feel Dhruv Jurel has done enough to be considered as a batter in the Test team - Parthiv Patel

Dhruv Jurel is the understudy of Rishabh Pant in the Test team, but has made a lot of noise with the bat with his exceptional performances in red-ball cricket, which has led to demands for his selection as a pure batter.

His last eight first-class innings scored read - 140, 1, 56, 125, 44, 6*, 132*, 127*. Meanwhile, Parthiv Patel said that Dhruv Jurel will get an opportunity as a pure batter at No.6 only if India decide to drop Nitish Kumar Reddy.

"Whether it was against the West Indies or wherever and whichever position Jurel has gotten to bat in, he has scored runs. The only thing is the combination you want to play with. If your combination is that you want to play an all-rounder, then he might not get a place," he said.

"However, if you want to play a pure batter, Dhruv Jurel can play there, and this management has already shown that kind of confidence in Dhruv Jurel once. He played as a batter in Perth. Although India won that Test match, he didn't get a chance after that. I feel Dhruv Jurel has done enough to be considered as a batter in the Test team," Parthiv added.

Parthiv Patel's India XI for IND vs SA 1st Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

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