On Day 3, India’s standout performers, Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav, reflected on their crucial partnership as the hosts seek victory in the fourth Test at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi. India commenced the day at 219 for 7, with Jurel and Kuldeep at the crease. Jurel impressively notched his maiden Test half-century, receiving valuable support from Kuldeep.
Considering this, they both guided India to a total of 307 runs in their first innings. In a video released by the India Cricket Board, Kuldeep lauded Jurel’s innings, expressing his comfort batting alongside him due to their prior experience playing together. The duo forged a crucial 77-run partnership for the 8th wicket, rescuing India from a precarious situation on Day 3.
“His father is in the Army, so he dedicated his fifty to his father. The thing about him is if you keep speaking with him, he remains calm and relaxed. I had a lot of belief in him since I’ve played with him before and I know how he bats. I thought he’ll complete the hundred. But obviously he played a very good knock and that was important for the team. His maiden hundred could be in the next game or the one after that,” said Kuldeep.
Watch the video;
The UP boys stole the show in the 1st innings.
– A great chat between Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep. ?pic.twitter.com/zcuTB7kYQW
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 26, 2024
I was very comfortable batting with him: Jurel
Moreover, reflecting on his bowling display on Day 3, Kuldeep emphasized the significance of the four wickets he claimed. His dismissals of Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes, Tom Hartley, and Ollie Robinson were instrumental as England were eventually bowled out for 145 runs. Apart from Kuldeep, the legendary off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged a fifer.
“Obviously, when you pick four wickets, you have hope of completing the five-wicket haul. The four wickets were very important ones, so I am happy with that,” Kuldeep said.
On the other hand, Jurel mentioned that he wasn’t focused on personal milestones while batting, emphasizing his comfort batting alongside Kuldeep. Jurel’s innings of 90 runs off 149 deliveries marked his maiden Test fifty, following a missed opportunity for a debut half-century when he was dismissed for 46 runs in the third Test in Rajkot.
“The most important thing was that I was very comfortable batting with him. He is also from Uttar Pradesh and so am I. I wasn’t thinking about milestones when I was batting. I was only thinking about staying in the middle for as long as possible, which will be beneficial for the team. This is my first series for India and I wish to win the series with the team,” said Jurel.
