Cricket

KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel to Join Early for Australia Tour

Indian batters KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel will arrive in Australia a week ahead of the rest of the Test squad to gain valuable match experience before the five-Test series that begins on November 22 in Perth. They will represent the India A team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, in the final four-day fixture starting November 7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

India A recently lost the first match of the series in Mackay by seven wickets, which was marred by a controversial ball change. Notably, Ishan Kishan avoided disciplinary action after an argument with the on-field umpire during the game.

Rahul, who was dropped from India’s XI following a disappointing performance against New Zealand in the first Test in Bengaluru—where he scored 0 and 12—was replaced by Shubman Gill for the subsequent matches in the series, which ended in a 3-0 whitewash, marking India’s first home defeat of this magnitude in 24 years.

Dhruv Jurel, making his Test debut earlier this year against England, hasn’t played in any of the five home Tests since Rishabh Pant’s return. He has had limited opportunities in red-ball cricket, featuring in two matches since the England series: one in the Duleep Trophy and another in the Irani Cup, where he scored only 2 and 0 in the Duleep Trophy but made a more significant impact with a quick 93 off 121 balls against Mumbai.

The decision to send Rahul and Jurel early for additional match practice is crucial, especially since the Indian team canceled their only planned intra-squad warm-up match in Perth, opting instead for a match simulation to help players get accustomed to game conditions. Captain Rohit Sharma explained, “We are traveling with a squad of 19 players, and only three days were allotted. The management feels it’s better to focus on match simulation, allowing batters to spend more time in the middle and bowlers to bowl more deliveries.”

The Indian squad is scheduled to leave for Australia on November 10 and will conduct training at the WACA, the historic venue in Perth, before the series opener at Optus Stadium. During their last tour in 2018-19, India won the series 2-1.

Due to personal commitments, India may be without Rohit Sharma for the first match. His place in the squad has been taken by Abhimanyu Easwaran, who scored 7 and 12 in the first A game after an impressive start to the domestic season, where he recorded four consecutive first-class hundreds.

Image Credits: CricXtasy

Siddharth Dahiya