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Indian batter Dhruv Jurel lost his wicket in a bizarre fashion after a rare lapse in judgment against Afghanistan in the ongoing one-off Test match against India in New Chandigarh.
Jurel was batting confidently and had already scored 19 runs off only 20 balls, hitting four boundaries during his fluent knock against Afghanistan. However, Afghanistan pacer Mohammad Saleem Safi had other plans as he produced a delivery that completely fooled India’s talented batter.
Mohammad Saleem Safi produces a brilliant delivery in IND vs AFG Test
Saleem Safi delivered a good-length ball just outside the off stump. Jurel quickly judged that the delivery would either continue straight or move away from him. Because of that, he decided not to play a shot and simply let the ball go through to the wicketkeeper.
However, the Afghan pacer produced a beauty. Jurel misjudged the line completely. He believed his off stump was safe and that the ball would pass outside it. But the ball moved sharply back into the batter towards the stumps after hitting the pitch.
Dhruv Jurel's error turns into a costly mistake
Since he had already decided to leave the delivery, Jurel had no time to adjust by the time he realized the ball was heading towards the stumps. The ball went through the narrow gap between Jurel and his off stump before crashing into the timber. The wicketkeeper-batter stood there in disbelief as his promising innings ended in the most unexpected manner.
Later, replays showed that he did not move far enough forward with his front foot. If he had taken a bigger stride towards the ball, he might have been able to understand the line better and either defend it or leave it safely. And this small error cost him dearly.
Interestingly, even Safi initially appeared unsure whether the ball had hit the stumps. But the moment he saw the bails come off, his reaction said it all. The pacer celebrated passionately after producing one of the best deliveries of the game against India.
Horrible leave from Dhruv Jurel
— The Cricket Vault (@TheCricketVault) June 7, 2026
Afghanistan have 5
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Rishabh Pant's century dream shattered by clever Afghanistan trap
In the next over, India lost another big wicket when Rishabh Pant missed out on a well-deserved century and was dismissed for 81 against Afghanistan. The left-hander had looked in complete control, but one attacking shot brought an end to his classy knock.
After surviving the early stages, Pant looked set for a three-figure score, but Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi didn’t let that happen. Shahidi tossed up a tempting delivery, luring Pant to attack. Seeing the ball flight, Pant stepped out of his crease and tried to hit it over the fielders.
But the ball did not come onto the bat the way he expected. It turned slightly after pitching, so Pat could not connect it cleanly and ended up hitting the ball from the lower part of the bat. As a result, the ball went straight up in the air, and Azmatullah Omarzai, who was stationed at deep mid-off, moved forward, judged the ball well, and safely completed the catch to end Pant’s knock. He scored 81 runs from 121 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes against Afghanistan.
