New Delhi: India batter Dhruv Jurel revealed he was left shocked when his Rajasthan Royals (RR) teammate Joe Root tried to sledge him during the Test series between India and England earlier this year. Jurel made an impressive debut in the series and was lauded by many for his valiant performances against the visitors.
The young wicket-keeper batter played a fabulous knock of 90 runs in the 4th Test between the two teams in Ranchi to help India post 307 runs in response to England’s first-innings total of 353 runs. India went on to bowl out England for 145 runs in their second innings and chased down the target of 192 runs comfortably in their second innings to secure a comfortable victory.
Jurel recalled England’s shocking tactics to unsettle him during his 90-run knock in the Ranchi Test and revealed even Root joined others in trying to sledge him. It was a bit surprising for the wicket-keeper batter, who knew Root well having shared the dressing room with him at Rajasthan Royals. However, Root gave him a great response when Jurel asked the England batter why he was sledging him on the field.
“I was on 32-34 when England took the new ball. And I knew (James) Anderson will be back and he was also quite aggressive because they knew the partnership was growing,” Jurel told host Jatin Sapru on his YouTube channel.
“I decided to not listen to them. I knew if I ended up listening, it will rattle me. So, I decided to ignore. Jonny Bairstow came and even Joe Root joined. I was shocked because Root and I play together in IPL, and I said, ‘Bhai Joe Root, aap kyun sledge kar rahe ho? (Why are you sledging me?)’. He replied: ‘This is what professionalism is, we are all playing for our country now’,” Jurel added.
Jurel was awarded the Player of the Match in the Ranchi Test against England after following up his 90-run knock with a crucial unbeaten 39 in the second innings to help the hosts get over the line in the run chase. The 23-year-old finished with 190 runs from 4 innings in the series at an excellent average of 53.67. Team India star recently revealed he was left shocked to see Joe Root trying to sledge him during the Ranchi Test between India and England earlier this year. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
