Dhruv Jurel is expected to hold his place in India’s Test XI even as Rishabh Pant returns as the main wicketkeeper. According to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, the team management is confident about including both players in the lineup for the upcoming India vs South Africa Test in Kolkata.
Jurel’s outstanding run of form has made his selection almost inevitable. He impressed during the West Indies series, hitting his maiden Test century in Ahmedabad. Since then, he has continued to deliver with the bat, scoring four centuries in his last eight first-class innings, including a twin hundred in India A’s match against South Africa A in Bengaluru.
“I don’t think you can leave him out for this Test, is the short answer,” ten Doeschate said. “But obviously, you can only pick 11 as well, so someone else will have to miss out. I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of the combination.”
Jurel’s Consistency Secures His Selection
Jurel’s consistency and temperament have earned him a place among India’s key Test batters. His recent performances have given India the luxury of depth in the middle order. With Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel providing balance as spin-bowling allrounders, the team can afford to field an additional batter like Jurel without compromising on bowling strength.
“Given the way Dhruv’s gone in the last six months, scoring two hundreds in Bangalore last week, he’s certain to play this week,” ten Doeschate added. “Again, like what I mentioned about Washy [Washington Sundar], Axar [Patel], Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja], for me, you’ve actually got three batters there. So it does give us a lot of flexibility. But I’d be very surprised if we don’t see Dhruv and Rishabh playing in this Test this week.”
Nitish Kumar Reddy Likely to Miss Out
The player likely to make way for Pant is Nitish Kumar Reddy. The young allrounder played in the West Indies series but had limited involvement. He batted only once and bowled four overs. India had planned to develop Reddy as a long-term seam-bowling option. However, the upcoming series against the World Test Championship holders demands a more experienced lineup.
“The primary thing is to set out a strategy to win the game, and then if you can accommodate giving guys a chance for development, that comes in,” ten Doeschate explained. “Our position certainly hasn’t changed on Nitish. He didn’t get much game time in [the white-ball series in] Australia, but I would say, given the importance of the series and given the conditions we think we’re going to face, he might miss out in this Test this week.”
South Africa’s Spin Attack a Big Challenge
South Africa arrive in India after a 1-1 Test draw in Pakistan, where their spin trio — Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthusamy — shared 33 wickets across two matches. Ten Doeschate noted that the Indian batting unit has been focusing on refining its approach to spin after last year’s 3-0 home-series loss to New Zealand.
“[M]ost likely they’ll play three [spinners], and it’s a little bit like playing against a subcontinent team,” he said. “You normally worry about the pace attack first [when you face South Africa]. And I’m pretty sure they’ll go with two seamers and three […] spinners.”
He continued, “But that is also the challenge when you’re playing in the subcontinent. It’s something as a team that we need to get better [at]. We addressed it early on. We’ve come up short a few times, so it’s a great challenge. Hopefully we’ve learned from the New Zealand series. We’ve put some plans into place [about] how to play the spin. And you’re right, it’s going to be so important over these two games, particularly how well they did in Pakistan about four weeks ago.”
Stay Updated for all the latest Sports News, follow Todaysmatchprediction on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
