Dhruv Jurel stakes claim for Test berth with second ton in a row as India A lord over SA A

Dhruv Jurel made a strong case for his continued presence in the senior Test eleven with his second hundred in as many innings against South Africa A while fortifying India A’s position on the third day of the four-day match here on Saturday.

Jurel (127 not out) had the perfect foil in Harsh Dubey (84) during the sixth wicket stand worth 184 runs, guiding India A to 382 for seven declared in their second innings for an overall lead of 416.

At stumps, South Africa A were 25 for no loss, needing 392 more runs to overhaul the target of 417. Lesego Senokwane (9) and Jordan Hermann (15) were at crease.

Jurel show

Jurel was India’s wicketkeeper batter during the home Test series against the West Indies while Rishabh Pant was recuperating from a foot injury that he sustained in England.

Now recovered sufficiently, Pant is expected to take the place of Jurel in the eleven against South Africa next week but the former had certainly put the selectors in a quandary with twin hundreds in this match.

He had made an unbeaten 132 in the first innings here, and now, the five wise men will at least have to give a thought as to how to squeeze in Jurel in the eleven either in Kolkata or Guwahati.

Just like that century, this innings of his too was perfectly poised and did not offer a single chance to the SA bowlers.

Jurel once again unfurled his safe yet effective method to accumulate runs. There were hardly any aerial shots, and the runs flowed in through well-timed cuts past the point, drives through covers and flicks off his pads.

Jurel brought up his fifty in 83 balls while Dube, a tad quicker from 76 balls.

As the partnership began to blossom, SA might have been regretting the reprieve they gave to Dube even before he opened the account.

Dube’s expansive drive off left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds was spilled at the first slip, and there wasn’t any more slip up for the next 178 minutes as he batted, blending guts and flair.

Jurel soon went past his 14^th first-class ton off 159 balls with a flicked four off pacer Tiaan van Vuuren, as the sixth-wicket pair added 127 runs off 28 overs in a free-flowing middle passage.

However, Simmonds exacted a late revenge when he held on to a catch off Tshepo Moreki to dismiss Dubey, but by then India A had moved so much ahead in the game.

Pant retires hurt, returns

Skipper Pant, who made a cavalier 65 off 54 balls, had to walk back to the pavilion after getting hit thrice in quick succession by pacer Moreki.

First he was pinged flush on his helmet while attempting a reverse pull, then on the left-arm forearm while playing conventional pull and eventually in the abdomen.

Pant wanted to continue, but coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar pulled him back for a quick check-up considering an important assignment against World Test champions South Africa is looming on the horizon.

The left-hander was on 17 off 22 balls when he retired hurt and the team score was 108.

But he returned after Dube’s dismissal to complete a swift fifty full of patented shots and then later kept wickets to allay any lingering concerns.

His dismissal with an hour to go on the day led to the hosts’ declaration.

But South Africa had created a small foothold in the morning session, getting rid of overnight batters KL Rahul (27) and Kuldeep Yadav (16).

Pacer Okuhle Cele (3/46) breached Rahul’s defence with a gem of a delivery that shaped away a bit to knock down his off-stump, and Kuldeep lobbed a catch to Temba Bavuma at mid-on off Prenelan Subrayen.

India were 116 for five, ahead by just 140 runs and the situation looked even grimmer because of Pant’s absence.

But Jurel and Dubey lifted India out of that quagmire with a fluent alliance.