Anil Kumble questions Dhruv Jurel’s batting position after series loss against South Africa

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble questioned if Dhruv Jurel was the right choice to bat at number four in the second Test match against South Africa. After Indian captain Shubman Gill was ruled out with a neck spasm, Jurel was given the onus of batting at number four in the second Test, which India lost by a massive margin of 408 runs.

Jurel had returned with scores of 13 and 14 in the opening Test match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Furthermore, the right-hander was dismissed for a blob in the first innings at Guwahati and then was dismissed for two runs in the second dig. 

Ahead of the Test series against the Proteas, Jurel had scored twin centuries against South Africa A, returning with scores of 132 and 127, but he could not carry the same form.

“The pressure of just being a batter changes (everything). And the position as well. I mean, I don’t think he’s batted number four for his team in First Class cricket. As a keeper he would have batted at six or five. Batting at No. 4 becomes that much more challenging, and especially when you know that you are the (specialist) batter here. Obviously, Shubman Gill is not available in this Test match, so you have to sort of go in as a replacement. So yes, that becomes a big challenge,” Anil Kumble said on the JioHotstar on Day 5 of the 2nd Test match.

The former leg-spinner highlighted that Jurel is still relatively inexperienced at the Test level.

“He is still young in his career. I mean, you know, he’s just playing, what, his 8th or 9th Test match, and then he’s not played too many First Class games. I know he’s got 2,000 runs in First Class cricket, but it is not enough,” Kumble said.

Jurel could only manage 29 runs in two Test matches against South Africa. The Uttar Pradesh player is part of the ODI series against the visitors, which would commence on Sunday.