Former Indian spinner and commentator Murali Kartik has lauded the Indian No.6 batter Dhruv Jurel, who scored an excellent 51-run knock off 68 balls with four fours and a six in the first Test against Sri Lanka, which is currently underway in Galle.
Speaking exclusively on Sony Sports Network, Kartik asserted that there were many questions about Jurel’s spot in the playing XI ahead of the game. However, he had shut down all of his critics with an excellent half-century, stitching a 55-run stand with Manav Suthar for the seventh wicket.
“Absolutely praiseworthy. There were discussions about his position before this match as to whether he merits a place in the XI. On top of that, he has been played in different positions. Wickets had fallen, and you had to score runs at a good pace,” Murali Kartik said on Sony Sports Network.
Furthermore, Kartik has showered praise on the middle-order batter for the way he treated spinners and pacers quite differently. While he batted extremely well against spinners, he used soft hands against pacers, dealing with the situation of the game with utmost confidence.
“He bats extremely well against spin. He took calculated risks. The six he hit, it was good to see the chance he took to upset the spinner. He used soft hands when he was playing against the seamers. You will have to say that he batted extremely well given the situation and position,” Kartik added.
It’s worth noting that before coming into this Test, there was a lot of pressure on Jurel, who failed to score a fifty in his previous seven innings. However, Jurel’s recent India A tour of Sri Lanka helped him to stand tall while wickets were falling from the other end.
