India A is taking on England Lions in a first-class match at Northampton. KL Rahul smashed a century in the first innings, while captain Abhimanyu Easwaran scored 80 in the second. Khaleel Ahmed impressed with the ball, but the real story is the emergence of a new star – wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel.
A consistent performer
Jurel has been India A’s most consistent batsman in the series. He narrowly missed a century in the first unofficial Test, scoring 94 in the first innings and 53 not out in the second. He carried this form into the second match, contributing 52 in the first innings.
In total, Jurel has scored 227 runs in four innings at an average of 75.6. As a backup wicketkeeper on India’s England tour, his chances of making the playing XI are slim, especially with Rishabh Pant as the new Test vice-captain. However, Jurel’s Test career has shown promise, with 202 runs, including a half-century, in four matches.
KL Rahul also shone in the second match, scoring 104 in the first innings and 51 in the second. But when it comes to consistency, Dhruv Jurel could be the trump card for India in the upcoming Test series against England.