India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate all but confirmed on Wednesday that in-form wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will play in the first test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens, starting Friday. Despite the return of first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant from injury, Ten Doeschate stated it would be a "surprise" if both players were not slotted into the playing XI, with Jurel set to feature as a specialist batter.
Jurel’s recent form has been termed scintillating, making it nearly impossible for the team management to leave him out. His last eight first-class innings include four centuries, such as his unbeaten 132 and 127 against South Africa 'A' last week. Ten Doeschate acknowledged the dilemma of accommodating both players, stating, "I don't think you can leave him out for this test, is the short answer."
He added that having Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel available as spin-bowling all-rounders provides the flexibility needed to play an extra batter like Jurel.
To make way for Jurel, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is highly likely to miss out on the Kolkata Test. Reddy, who India is grooming for the future as a seam-bowling all-rounder, has been released from the first Test squad to join the 'A' team for the One-Day series against South Africa 'A' in Rajkot.
Ten Doeschate emphasized that selection priority must remain on winning the series: "The primary thing is to set out a strategy to win the game, and then if you can accommodate giving guys a chance for development, that comes in."
There remains a possibility that Jurel could slot into the lineup in place of B Sai Sudharsan, who has struggled to cement the No. 3 position, averaging 30.33 in nine innings since his debut. With Rishabh Pant almost certain to take the gloves, Jurel would likely take a middle-order batting slot. Playing two specialist wicketkeepers, with one acting as a pure batsman, is a rare occurrence for India outside of injury crises, last seen when Dinesh Karthik opened alongside MS Dhoni during the 2007 tour of England.
Both the Indian assistant coach and South Africa coach Shukri Conrad agreed that the Eden Gardens pitch is expected to offer something for the seamers early on, but will certainly offer spin as the game progresses. South Africa's spin attack featuring Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthusamy, presents a stiff challenge, particularly after their success in Pakistan.
Ten Doeschate noted that India has "put some plans into place" to counter the spin threat, a lesson learned after their 3-0 home-series defeat to New Zealand last year.
