Dhruv Jurel smashes a ton in the ongoing 2nd unofficial test against South Africa A in Bengaluru (Images via X/Screengrabs) Dhruv Jurel etched his name into the India A records with a brilliant performance against South Africa A in Bengaluru, becoming only the second Indian player to add his name to the elite list.By scoring centuries in both innings of the ‘A-Test’ match, Jurel emulated the feat last achieved by Naman Ojha who scored 219* and 101* against Australia A in Brisbane in July 2014. Jurel, who also hit a century in the first four-day match of the series, continued his exceptional form. With captain Rishabh Pant injured in the morning as he retired in the morning session, the wicketkeeper batsman patiently built up the innings before reaching his hundred off 159 balls. He was unbeaten on 127 when India A declared on Day 3, with the hosts extending their lead to 416 runs. At the innings break, India A were 382/7 in 89.2 overs after earlier reaching 255 in the first innings, while South Africa A were bowled out for 221. Laced with 15 boundaries and one six, Jurel’s composed knock once again showcased his growing maturity in red-ball cricket. Earlier in the day, there were anxious moments for the hosts when India A skipper Pant was hit three times by pacer Tshepo Moraki. he was hit first in the helmet, then in the elbow, and later in the stomach, which eventually forced him to retire on the 17th. “The team physios are watching him and will make a call whether he can bat or not if the situation in the game calls for it,” a team official said.
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However, Pant bounced back later in the innings with a blistering 65 off 54 balls, including five fours and four sixes, to ease fears ahead of the upcoming home Test series against South Africa starting on November 14. He was then dismissed on the last ball of India A’s innings before they announced. When the innings ended, Jurel’s twin stood out as the highlight of the match and marked another highlight in his rapid progression through India’s red-ball ranks.
