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Dhruv Jurel all set to join Rishabh Pant in India’s Test XI vs South Africa, with Nitish Kumar Reddy missing out after Jurel’s brilliant recent form.
Dhruv Jurel is on a run-scoring spree since September (Picture credit: PTI)
Star wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel is all set to feature in India’s Test XI against South Africa, alongside Rishabh Pant, with Nitish Kumar Reddy losing out on a spot, after the former scoring truckloads of runs over the last one and a half months, according to a report in PTI.
Jurel had kept wickets in India’s last three Tests, at The Oval, Ahmedabad and Delhi, while Pant was sidelined with an ankle fracture. However, the latter’s return has now made the playing XI selection a tricky call ahead of the first Test in Kolkata, less than a week away.
Since the start of the home season, Jurel’s scores read 140, 1 & 56, 125, 44 & 6, 132 & 127*. With three hundreds, including a Test century, plus a half-century and a 40-plus innings in his last eight first-class knocks, Jurel’s form could not be overlooked.
“Jurel is likely to play as a specialist batter. Ideally, there are two slots where he could be fitted in. One was Sai Sudharsan at No. 3, but he has a half-century in his last Test and the team management wants a settled No. 3,” a BCCI source told PTI.
“The other place is Nitish Kumar Reddy and he cannot be played ahead of Jurel, considering that his bowling would not be required much in these Indian conditions,” the source added.
As per the report, there were intense discussions about including Devdutt Padikkal for the Delhi Test after Reddy bowled just four overs in Ahmedabad, all in the first innings.
At the Kotla, Reddy was promoted up the order to get some batting time, but was not allowed to bowl.
While head coach Gautam Gambhir favours batting depth up to No. 8, he is expected to back Jurel for a longer stint in the middle order, with India all set to field three spinners and two pacers.
While combinations like former India captain MS Dhoni with Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel, or later Pant have featured together in India’s white-ball XIs, instances of two specialist wicketkeepers playing in the same Test XI have been rare.
November 08, 2025, 21:05 IST
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