Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel’s sparkling 113 and Devdutt Padikkal’s gritty 86 put India in a strong position as they ended Day 3 in Lucknow on 403/4. The hosts trail by 129 runs in the unofficial Test between India A and Australia A.
Jurel came in to bat after India lost two wickets in quick succession and were, at one point, in danger of conceding a substantial lead to Australia A. However, the 24-year-old stitched together a 181-run partnership with Padikkal, which helped India A fight back.
Jurel’s technique against both pace and spin was flawless. He continued to rotate the strike with singles and doubles and punished any loose deliveries with boundaries. At the end of the day, he remained unbeaten on 113 from just 132 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes. The national selectors will be pleased with his performance, as he is the back-up wicketkeeper option for India in Tests, behind Rishabh Pant.
Padikkal, meanwhile, was determined to occupy the crease and capitalised on poor deliveries to find the boundary. The left-hander remained not out on 86 from 178 balls, including eight fours.
However, Shreyas Iyer’s failure could dent his chances of making a Test comeback. The India A captain was trapped LBW by Corey Rocchiccioli for just eight runs.
Sai Sudharsan, who had a disappointing Test series in England, also played well, scoring 73 off 124 balls, including 10 fours.
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