Dhruv Jurelโs unbeaten 113 rescued India A after early wickets, including skipper Shreyas Iyer for just 8, on a rain-hit day against Australia A. Partnering with Devdutt Padikkal (86*), Jurel led a strong fightback as the match heads towards a draw.
A composed yet explosive century from Dhruv Jurel breathed life into India Aโs reply on a rain-interrupted third day of the unofficial Test against Australia A in Lucknow. With time running out and the weather continuing to play spoilsport, the match appears headed for a draw, but Jurelโs counter-attacking brilliance will give him some much-needed confidence ahead of the international home season.
Coming in at a delicate stage of the innings with India A being reduced to 222/4 and still over 300 runs behind, Jurel turned the momentum with some brilliant hitting in the middle. Without being reckless, he scored the majority of the runs on the leg side. He cleared the boundary ropes four times en route to an unbeaten 113, which stabilised the innings and also injected much-needed intent into the game.
Jurelโs partnership with Devdutt Padikkal, who remained unbeaten on 86, was the cornerstone of India Aโs revival. The pair added an unbroken 181 for the fifth wicket, taking the hosts past 400 and narrowing the deficit to 129 runs by stumps. Their stand nullified Australia Aโs early breakthroughs, especially the twin blows post-lunch that had given the visitors a glimmer of hope.
Shreyas Iyer flops against Australia A
Among those dismissed was India A skipper Shreyas Iyer, whose brief stay at the crease raised fresh concerns about his form. Iyer was the only batter in the innings to fall for a single-digit score, managing just eight before falling to Corey Rocchiccioli. With a return to the national side looming and younger batters like Jurel pushing their case, the pressure is mounting on the captain to produce more substantial contributions.
Earlier in the day, the Indian innings had resumed with Sai Sudharsan and N Jagadeesan carrying forward their positive intent. Sudharsan, who eventually fell for 73, looked set for a century before being trapped leg-before by Cooper Connolly. Devdutt Padikkal then took over seamlessly, bringing up his own half-century and building partnerships that slowly eroded Australia Aโs first-innings advantage.