Brief scores: India (460/9 in 116 overs) vs Sri Lanka after the end of play on Day 2 in the Galle Test.
Dhruv Jurel ended his lean run with a crucial fifty against Sri Lanka on Sunday and said he was never under any “pressure”, while crediting head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for giving him clarity and confidence during the difficult phase.
Jurel made a 68-ball 51 on the second day of the first Test, playing an important hand as India moved to a formidable 460 for nine. The knock came after he had gone seven innings without scoring a fifty.
“There was, honestly, no pressure. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to represent India. That’s the only privilege that I play for,” Jurel said in the post-day press conference.
“So whenever I speak to the captain or head coach, they always tell me what to do, what the situation is. So, tell me to play accordingly. There is no personal milestone that I look for before batting. I just go there and do what the team needs,” he said.
SL vs IND 1st Test Day 2: Highlights
The 25-year-old had played at the same venue for India A in the lead-up to the Test series, and said that experience helped him get a better understanding of the conditions.
“We came here 10 days before. We practised in Colombo and before that played for India A, and we had 4-5 sessions. It’s all about batting on these kinds of surfaces as much as I can.
“It improves my batting, knows the environment, and knows the situation. So it’s really helpful,” he noted.
Jurel’s fifty came at an important stage for India, who had lost two sessions to rain and a wet outfield. He said the plan was to keep adding runs without taking unnecessary risks.
“You can say that the plan was that we can make as many runs as possible. The plan was not that from the ball once, we are going bonkers.
“The plan was that we can make as many runs as possible by playing sensible cricket and make some good partnerships at the lower order,” he said.
With the pitch still offering good conditions for batting, Jurel expects India’s bowlers to put in the hard yards when Sri Lanka begin their innings. He said the key would be to remain patient and stick to the basics.
“I think we will have to put in a lot of long spells, just like SL bowlers and we will have to be consistent. There is no rocket science. We need to put balls in great areas. That’s all and we have to keep it simple.
“We will have to play with determination if we want to win the match, we need to take those 20 wickets.”
Jurel was also pleased with the way Devdutt Padikkal grabbed his opportunity. Padikkal scored a wonderful 167 to put India in a commanding position.
“He has already made runs for India A and now here. So, whenever he gets a chance, he gets runs. So as a fellow cricketer, it feels good that he is doing great for India,” he added.
– Ends
