"I play according to the demands..." - Dhruv Jurel after being named Player of the Match in Ranchi Test

Dhruv Jurel was adjudged the Player of the Match for his impressive displays with the bat in the recently concluded fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi.

The Uttar Pradesh star earned his maiden call-up from the Indian team for the ongoing series and has totally justified the decision so far. After warming the bench during the first two Tests, he made his debut in the third Test in Rajkot. On his debut, he played a fine knock of 46 runs and did not get the chance to bat in the second innings.

In the fourth Test, he showcased his batting style and temperament by bailing India out of trouble in both the innings. In the first innings, India were reeling at 177 for 7 in reply to England’s 353 before Dhruv Jurel came to their rescue. The youngster shared a 76-run stand with Kuldeep Yadav for the eighth wicket and went on to score 90 precious runs.

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Dhruv Jurel named Player of the Match:

In the second innings, India were in deep trouble while chasing 192 runs. The hosts were off to a good start with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal adding 84 runs for the first wicket before an inexplicable collapse saw them getting reduced to 120 for 5. With the pitch aiding the spinners, the situation was not easy for the batters, especially for someone who was playing only his second Test.

However, Dhruv Jurel showed remarkable skill and maturity to take India home. He shared an unbeaten stand of 72 runs with Shubman Gill to power India to a series-clinching win. While Gill remained unbeaten on 52, the wicketkeeper-batsman scored 39.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Dhruv Jurel opened up on his batting game plan and said that he likes to play according to the situation.

“I play according to the demands of the situation. The 1st innings, we needed to get runs as well, we knew we had to bat last and so any runs would be vital. I was involved in some partnerships, so credit does go to all those who stayed and added runs. I just saw the ball and then reacted to it, not thinking too far ahead,” said Jurel.

“The conversation was good (with Shubman Gill in the 2nd innings), we just broke it into 10-run sets and started developing the partnership,” he added.

Meanwhile, India beat England by five wickets in the fourth Test to clinch the series with a match remaining. India now have a 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

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