Ahmedabad: As soon as he flicked West Indies skipper Roston Chase past mid-wicket for four to reach his maiden Test hundred, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel used his bat to mimic an army march drill. It was a tribute to the Forces and his father, Nem Chand, who fought in the battle of Kargil in 1999.Nem Chand is a retired army havildar. While Jurel celebrates his 50 with just a salute dedicated to his father, the special drill was reserved for the three-figure mark if and when he got there. “The salute (celebration) after reaching my 50 was for my father, but for the hundred, it was something that I had in my mind for a very long time because I have been so close to the Indian Army. I’ve seen my father since my childhood,” Jurel said.He feels what the Forces go through cannot be compared to what the cricketers do on the field. “What we do on the ground and what they do on the battlefield is very difficult and you cannot compare that. I will always have my respect and whatever I will do in the future will be for them. I would like to dedicate this to the Indian Army for what they do,” he said further.Jurel spent most of the time on the bench as the keeping gloves are usually donned by Rishabh Pant. So the chance to bring the celebration out had to wait. How frustrating is it to keep waiting, not knowing when your chance will come? “I consider it to be a massive privilege to be involved with the Indian team whether I am playing in the XI or not. How many people get that chance? How many people get to play Test cricket?” he said after play on Day 2 of the first Test.Jurel is a process-driven athlete and a massive believer in hard work and visualisation to score risk-free runs, especially in the longer formats. Even when he knows he is not playing, he stays switched on, mentally. “I keep imagining what I would do against so and so bowler, so that when I actually get a chance, I feel that I am ready and well prepared,” he stated.
Poll
How do you feel about Dhruv Jurel’s tribute to the Indian Army after his maiden Test hundred?
Jurel also credited the help and advice he got from England legend Joe Root when he was his teammate at Rajasthan Royals during the 2023 IPL season.“Whenever I feel there is something that I need to chat about, I go to him as to what I can do with my batting and he gives simple answers as to how I can play and tackle situations. I met him in England too this year. He told me as a batter it is difficult to remain consistent, but if you keep doing the same things every day and stay disciplined, you will get the results.”
