Ahead of the first Test, India captain Shubman Gill had made mention of the template that his team would like to follow at home: “We want to play long, grinding cricket.”
For the second day at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Indian batting put the playbook into effect as the dominance over the West Indies became complete. KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja hit hundreds to power India’s total to 448/5, taking the lead to 286 runs as the hosts targeted an innings win.
FOLLOW: IND vs WI, 1st Test Day 3 LIVE Score
There was little surprise with the way Rahul and Jadeja, two batsmen who had an outstanding tour of England, went about their business here. The two veterans paced their innings to perfection, one setting up the base for the middle order and the other building castles on it. But it was Jurel’s maiden Test hundred that would provide the sort of happy headache that India would have sought.
Coming in after Gill departed after making 50, Jurel had the opportunity to make a big score. Since making an impressive debut last year during the England home series, the wicketkeeper has been in Rishabh Pant’s shadow. On the back of an assured fifty in a tour game in Australia, India played him as a specialist batsman at Perth before he went back to warming the bench.
In England, an injury to Pant opened up a spot for him midway through the Manchester Test. Over the last two months, with no certainty around the timeline of Pant’s recovery, Jurel has been quietly doing his bit behind the scenes, scoring 140 and 56 for India A in two ‘Tests’ against Australia A. Presented with an opportunity here, his outstanding wicketkeeping ability caught the eye on Day 1, and on Friday, he showed what he can provide with the bat.
Jurel’s Instagram bio has space for just two words: Mamba Mentality. It is a term coined by the late basketball giant Kobe Bryant for his autobiography, where he explained what it meant. “Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting the hard work when it matters most. It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit,” Bryant had explained.
If there is another takeaway from Bryant’s mindbook that has defined Jurel, it’s “hard work outweighs talent — every time. Mamba mentality is about 4 am workouts, doing more than the next guy, and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform.”
It is what Jurel did on Friday. From the moment he came in, he never showed nerves. He was assured in his game and assessed the conditions before asserting himself. For his first 37 deliveries, despite looking assured, he never went in search of boundaries, playing according to the merit of the ball, before ending the first session with a boundary.
Having got a hang of the conditions, Jurel was authoritative in the second session. There is a reason why head coach Gautam Gambhir believes Jurel can play a huge role in this Test team. While Pant’s presence might limit his opportunities, innings like this give the think-tank something to think about. Given Pant’s fitness struggles, India have the option of playing him as a specialist batsman with Jurel being the wicketkeeper at home as he is the better gloveman.
But on Friday, Jurel ensured India didn’t miss Pant. “Even if I am not playing the match, I keep working hard. I know one day, I will get an opportunity and I have to be 100 percent ready to be able to deliver,” he said.
The readiness that Jurel speaks about involves plenty of homework. During the 2024 IPL, he used the two months he spent at Rajasthan Royals in picking the brain of Joe Root – arguably the best Test batsman of the current generation. At the nets, he has a simulation process in place that helps him bat in different gears depending on different situations.
“I try to get risk-free runs in the longer formats because that will put my team in a good position. I do a lot of visualisation, whether I am playing or not, so when I play a match, it doesn’t feel anything new. I know what the feeling is like. I visualise everything, from walking in to taking stance. Nothing feels different,” Jurel said.
“I keep it clear to myself that there’s nothing like getting to a milestone. You are playing to make the team win, so I play according to what that situation demands. If I have to defend for 10-15 overs, I will defend and if I have to attack, I will attack if the team demands.”
With Jadeja starting on an aggressive note on Friday, it allowed Jurel to bat at his own tempo. But he didn’t slow down or get into a shell as he neared his hundred. When the spinners attacked the stumps, he made room to make full use of the large vacant areas. When the quicks found a bit of reverse-swing, he was prepared to play close to the body. But if there was any remote chance to free his arms, he did it with full command.
Having watched him construct 125 runs of 210 deliveries, there were few doubts as to whether Jurel was ready for the opportunity he got. As Bryant said. “Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting the hard work when it matters most. It’s the ultimate mantra for the competitive spirit.”
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
