Aakash Chopra praised Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill for forming a winning partnership during a critical point in the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi.
On Monday, February 26, while chasing a 192-run mark, India fell to 120/5. Following a five-wicket loss, Gill (52* off 124) and Jurel (39* off 77) combined for 72 runs, giving the home team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
“One wicket there and England would have won the match” – Aakash Chopra
In a video that he posted to his YouTube channel, Chopra commended Gill and Jurel for stepping up to the challenge at a pivotal moment. He explained at 6:20:
“72 is a lot of runs. The game was absolutely hanging in the balance because one wicket there and England would have won the match. The match would have come towards India if there was a 40 to 45-run partnership.”
“Some knocks make you mature and this was that knock from Shubman Gill”- Aakash Chopra
The former opener for India believes that Shubman Gill’s knock will help him in the long run. Gill did not hit a single boundary in the first 119 deliveries he faced. When India needed 20 runs to win, he hammered Shoaib Bashir for two sixes in three deliveries to get his fifty.
“Shubman Gill has played a lot of good cricket. Till the two sixes in the end, he didn’t hit a single four. He was very good. Some knocks make you mature. You might not have scored a lot of runs in that knock but you do extremely well going forward. This was that knock from Shubman Gill,” Chopra said.
According to Chopra, the performances of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal suggest that India’s future is in safe hands. He explained:
“You know that I rate him very highly. However, after watching this knock, the respect for him grows in your eyes. India’s future is secure. Yashasvi (Jaiswal) is there at the top and Shubman Gill is there alongside him. These are two quality Indian batters who are ready to fight.”
“Dhruv Jurel shone like the Dhruv Tara” – Aakash Chopra
Dhruv Jurel initially made sure that India didn’t have a huge first-inning deficit, as Aakash Chopra pointed out. At 7:35, he said:
“Dhruv Jurel was the Player of the Match. What a player. Dhruv Jurel shone like the Dhruv Tara (pole star). To be honest, how did you reach here? There was no way the lead would have been less than 100 but he made it 46. He scored 90 runs and batted extremely well.”
The reputed commentator commended the wicketkeeper-batter for maintaining composure under pressure.
“When he came in the second innings, again the same calmness. How can he be so calm? He is an army man’s son. This is what is taught in the army. That’s the quality you see in Dhruv. He plays with extremely soft hands and the way he moves his feet towards the ball, he is very good,” Chopra added.
In conclusion, Chopra said that in foreign conditions, India would not require KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant as a wicketkeeper-batter. He went on to say that Jurel performed exceptionally well in the Ranchi Test.