India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has expressed full confidence in young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, set to begin on Thursday at The Oval in London.
With vice-captain Rishabh Pant ruled out of the series due to a broken right foot, the 24-year-old Jurel is expected to take over wicketkeeping duties. He had already stepped in during the third Test at Lord’s and again in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, when Pant suffered injuries to his finger and foot, respectively.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kotak praised Jurel’s all-round ability and preparedness despite limited game time in English conditions.
“Dhruv is an outstanding talent,” Kotak said. “He is a very good keeper. And he can bet really well, and he has been preparing. Obviously, all the guys are very professional, whether they are playing. You take it from Abhimanyu to Dhruv or anyone, whether they are playing or not.”
“We try and do that they all get enough volume of batting, bowling, whatever is required. But particularly about Dhruv, he is a very talented player. He has already played and performed for India,” he added.
Kotak also addressed concerns raised about Jurel’s performance behind the stumps during the third Test, where he conceded several byes, particularly on the leg side. He attributed the errors to the challenging pitch conditions, which included uneven bounce.
“So, they all keep preparing for any stage, any injuries, any requirement; they should be ready to play. And I think he is in the same mindset. Rishabh got hit on the finger first, so, that game he also kept at loads, which was difficult times because the ball was up and down, and a few byes went,” Kotak said.
“And then the next game, again, because Rishabh got hit on the feet, so he kept. So, on the keeping side, he has already done it for long enough. The batting, I think, he is prepared, he is ready, and he is very, very talented. So, he will try and do his best; there is no doubt,” he added.
Jurel entered the England series with strong form, having scored three consecutive fifty-plus scores for India A against England Lions in unofficial Tests. Notably, he made headlines earlier with a gritty 90-run knock in Ranchi during India’s home Test series against England last year, a performance that underscored his potential on the big stage.
