As the sun dipped low over Ahmedabad, Dhruv Jurel stood tall at the crease. His first Test century, a sublime 125, was a knock as chanceless as the soldier’s drill, and as fearless as the charge into the enemy lines.The first Test cricketer from Agra, 24-year-old Dhruv wasn’t just carving a place for himself in cricketing folklore, but honouring a legacy etched in sacrifice.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!His celebrations after reaching the coveted landmark, a sharp guard-of-honour-salute, was not for the cameras but for his father, Nem Singh Jurel — a Kargil War veteran from the Jat Regiment — the man who once wanted his son to walk the same path through the National Defence Academy.“My fifty celebration was for my father. The hundred — that was for the Indian Army. I’ve seen how hard they work. What we do on the cricket field is nothing compared to their sacrifice,” he told the media.
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Dhruv’s childhood coach Parvinder Yadav, was ecstatic.“He looked like a 40-Test veteran. Dhruv has that rare ability to adapt, and can bat anywhere in the order. He gives the Indian team that flexibility. Today, he gave us the perfect Dussehra gift,” Yadav told TOI.And what a gift it was. With this century, Dhruv made an emphatic statement. Of grit and grace. There was a sense of serene calmness in the manner he played on Friday.Nem was a tad emotional at his son’s exploits, and said: “Today, he made all of India proud.”Picked for the ongoing Test series against the West Indies as the replacement for the incumbent wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, who was out with an injury, he showcased his talent and nous, when it mattered.Since making his debut last year during the home series against England, the wicketkeeper has been constantly under Pant’s shadow. In the interim, Dhruv quietly went on fine-tuning his game. “I always tell Dhruv to make it count whenever he gets an opportunity. I’m glad he did just that today,” Nem added.As Dhruv walked off the field, with applause ringing in his ears, one could sense what he had achieved. This wasn’t just a century. It was a salute — from a cricketer to a soldier — from a son to a father.
