Former Indian Test opener Sadagopan Ramesh believes Dhruv Jurel can play purely as a batter even when first-choice wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant returns to the Test team. Jurel scored a fine knock of 125 runs in the first innings of the opening Test match against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

This was Jurel’s maiden Test century and he added 206 runs with Ravindra Jadeja in the first essay. Thus, Jurel’s century played a key role in helping India register a massive innings and 140-run win against the Windies.

Ramesh reckons Jurel can replace under-fire Sai Sudharsan at one drop as a pure batter if the latter fails to score runs in Delhi.

Sudharsan can has scored only 147 runs in four Test matches and thus hasn’t had a great start to his Test career.

Ramesh said on his YouTube Channel, “Jurel played a brilliant knock against the West Indies. Though it was against a poor attack, he was still under pressure, considering he is competing with a beast like Rishabh Pant. With the century, he has told the management that the competition isn’t between himself and Rishabh Pant. Instead, he has made himself a viable option as a pure batter either at No. 3 for Sai Sudharsan or in Nitish Kumar Reddy’s spot. If Sai Sudharsan doesn’t score, that’ll be the plan once Rishabh Pant returns.”

Jurel has shown the right technique and has scored 380 runs in six Test matches at an average of 47.50.

The second Test match between India and the West Indies will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi from Friday onwards.