"We were all sitting around as staff of Cricket Australia and thought 'Wow, this guy can seriously play'"- Tim Paine backs Dhruv Jurel to shine in BGT
Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine was highly impressed with Indian wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel's batting in the clash between India A and Australia A ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Jurel played in the second India A-Australia A contest in Melbourne and scored a brilliant 186-ball 80 after walking in to bat at 11-4.
The 23-year-old wasn't done yet as he scored another defiant 68 off 122 deliveries in the second innings. While Jurel scored back-to-back half-centuries, none of the other India A batters scored a half-century in either innings.
Speaking on SEN Tassie, Paine raved about Jurel's batting and backed him to shine in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"There’s a guy who has wicket kept in a few Test matches for India. He averages 63 out of the three Tests he’s played, and his name is Dhruv Jurel. He scored one of the more polished 80s I've seen, and we were all sitting around as staff of Cricket Australia and thought, ‘Wow, this guy can seriously play," he said.
“I don't know if you saw much of the highlights, but after seeing him bat (against Australia A) – even though he’s a wicketkeeper, from what I’ve seen on this tour and from India’s batting in the last couple of months, I'd be staggered if he doesn't play," Paine added.
Jurel made his India debut earlier this year in the home Test series against England and immediately impressed.
The right-handed batter scored a well-compiled 46 in his maiden innings before producing series-winning knocks of 90 and 39* in the penultimate Test in Ranchi to help India take an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
"He looked a class above all of his teammates" - Tim Paine
Tim Paine felt Dhruv Jurel looked in a different class compared to the other India A batters in the clash against Australia A.
The India A side included several impressive youngsters like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
"He's 23 and he’s played three Test matches, but he looked a class above all of his teammates, to be fair, and handled the pace and bounced really well, which can be unusual for an Indian player. Keep an eye out for him this summer. I think he's going to impress a lot of Australian fans. Even though it’s going to be another step up against the big three (of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood), he looks like he has the game to play Test cricket," Paine said in the same interaction.
Paine coached Australia A in the clash against India A and also captained Australia when India last toured the country for a Test series in 2020-21.
Meanwhile, with Rishabh Pant already in the squad and certain to play as a wicketkeeper, it will be interesting to see if India plays Jurel as a specialist batter in the Australia series.
The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starts in Perth on November 22.