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Dhruv Jurel honours his father and Indian Army with earnest gesture after maiden Test century - Watch
Dhruv Jurel made the most of the opportunity he got in the first Test and scored 125 runs off 210 balls, which was laced with 15 fours and three sixes.
Dhruv Jurel made the most of the chance presented by Rishabh Pant’s injury, scoring his maiden Test century and making a solid impact against the West Indies in the series opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Usually selected as Pant’s backup in the red-ball setup, Jurel got the opportunity to feature in the playing XI due to the left-hander’s unfortunate absence.
The wicketkeeper batter scored 125 runs off 210 balls, which was laced with 15 fours and three sixes. Jurel looked confident throughout his innings, bringing a calmness to the middle when India lost the wickets of Shubman Gill (50) and KL Rahul (100).
He shared a brilliant 206-run stand for the fifth wicket with veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to put India in a commanding position.
The young wicketkeeper reached his century with a boundary and then followed his celebration, which was a tribute to the Indian Army. The dressing room stood on its feet and applauded Jurel for his sublime strokeplay. Jadeja, too, was all smiles and applauded on the other end.
Earlier, when he reached his half-century, he celebrated it in style with a salute.
Jurel’s father, Nem Chand, served in the Indian Army and participated in the 1999 Kargil War. In past interviews, Jurel has shared that his on-field salute is his way of honouring his father’s dedication and service to the nation.
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Dhruv Jurel joins elite list with maiden ton
His century marked India’s third by a designated wicketkeeper in 2025 (Pant 2, Jurel 1), the most for the country in a calendar year and joint second-highest for any team, behind South Africa’s four in 2013.
He became the 12th Indian wicketkeeper to score a Test century, joining five others—Vijay Manjrekar, Farookh Engineer, Ajay Ratra, Wriddhiman Saha, and now Jurel—who notched their maiden hundred against the West Indies.
After completing his century, he decided to up the ante and put the foot on the accelerator by taking on the Windies bowlers. The wicketkeeper batter took the aerial route by dispatching the ball for a towering six straight down the ground. He eventually perished at the hands of debutant Khary Pierre after giving away a healthy outside edge to Shai Hope.
