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Indian wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel claimed a stunning catch to provide the first breakthrough for India A in their 2024 Duleep Trophy clash against India B at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, September 5. The ongoing clash kickstarted the domestic season in India, with the other two teams competing in Anantapur simultaneously.
The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran started off on a cautious note after India A captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first. They had to deal with the pace trio of Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep and Avesh Khan with the new ball.
In the final delivery of the 13th over bowled by Avesh Khan, Easwaran uncharacteristically went for a lavish drive well outside the off stump. The ball took the edge and flew towards the slip cordon. Jurel, however, dove right in front of the fielder at first slip and almost collided with the second slip, but managed to hold onto the ball. Have a look at the stunning catch right here:
The India B skipper's dismissal left the team at 33-1 after the first hour's play. Mumbai's Musheer Khan has come out to the middle at No.3 to join Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Dhruv Jurel will be keen to hold his position as first-choice wicket-keeper during the home season and beyond
Jurel's unprecedented introduction to the red-ball setup has been a masterstroke so far. Coupled with KS Bharat's string of poor scores and Ishan Kishan's absence, the 23-year-old took full advantage. He has been excellent with the bat and with the gloves in national colors so far, making his mark in the home series against England.
He now faces stiff competition with Ishan Kishan slowly making a return to red-ball cricket along with Rishabh Pant also expected to be in the scheme of things. With Team India set to play a lot of red-ball cricket in the coming months, Jurel has to maintain his form to retain his position.
