India vs England Test series: Dhruv Jurel and two newcomers who fared well and one who didn’t

After the Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in 2020/21, where five players made their debut, the ongoing Test series against England has seen four new comers donning the Test cap for India. And with Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami missing all four Tests and KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja missing in between, India took the field at Vizag, Rajkot and Ranchi with one of the most inexperienced XI. Here are the four players who made their debut in the Anthony de Mello Trophy…

Rajat Patidar at Vizag

With KL Rahul out injured, India handed debut to the right-hander. In his maiden innings, he made a promising 32 but since then he hasn’t been able to live up to the expectations. In the following five innings he has scores of 9, 5, 0, 17 & 0 with all things pointing to Patidar going back to domestic fold. It would be a surprise if he gets to start in the fifth and final Test at Dharamsala.

Sarfaraz Khan at Rajkot

For the last two years, every time his name was missing in the Test squad, there has been plenty of noise. And with Shreyas Iyer dropped, Sarfaraz walked into the side and through the course of the Test vindicated his call-up. A counter-attacking 62 in the first was followed by an unbeaten 68 in the second as a promising career took off. Can be a huge asset in Indian conditions, especially against spinners.

Dhruv Jurel at Rajkot

With KS Bharat struggling for runs and batting line-up thin on runs, India turned to Jurel. Coming in at 8, he started off with 46, looking assured in the middle. And at Ranchi showed his worth, rescuing India from 177-7 to 307 with 90 valuable runs. Apart from his calmness and composure, his temperament stood out the most. And his unbeaten 39 under pressure in the chase on Day 4 ensured Jurel walked away with Man of the Match award.

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Akash Deep at Ranchi

For a side that is already without Shami, resting Jasprit Bumrah for the Test meant they were thin on experience in the pace bowling front. With Mukesh Kumar ineffective, in walked Akash, who didn’t waste any time to land the punches. On the first morning of the fourth Test, it was Akash who accounted for the in-form England top-order – Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope. It ensured, batting first England will not walk away with a huge total.

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