Ben Stokes playfully suggests that England’s keeper-batter Ben Foakes may have a ‘man crush’ on Indian stumper Dhruv Jurel while commending Jurel for his outstanding performance in the Ranchi Test.
In the fourth Test on February 26, India secured a five-wicket victory over England at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. The young keeper-batter, Jurel, received the Player of the Match award for his notable scores of 90 and 39*, along with impressive wicketkeeping skills.
During a post-match press conference after England’s loss, Captain Stokes showcased his humorous side while praising Jurel, saying:
“Both innings he’s played very well. His keeping was also something to watch – I think Ben Foakes has a little man crush on him there.”
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Jurel faced a challenging situation in the first innings when India, after England’s 353, found themselves at 161 for five, later slipping to 177/7. Despite this, the 23-year-old cricketer from Uttar Pradesh displayed maturity under pressure. Forming crucial partnerships with Kuldeep Yadav and Akash Deep, he ensured India limited England’s lead to 46 runs.
In the second innings, with India at 120/5 and chasing 192, Jurel and Shubman Gill (52*) remained composed, guiding India to a series-clinching victory. Notably, Jurel had previously made a significant contribution with a resilient 46 in the first innings of the Rajkot Test, marking his debut for India.
While reflecting on India’s comeback in Ranchi, Stokes conceded that England failed to capitalize on their opportunities when they had the upper hand in the game.
“It’s always disappointing being on the losing team. Looking back at when we had our chance to bat yesterday, cricket is always skill against skill… You’ve got to give them [India] a lot of credit for the way in which they bowled in very favorable conditions. On this occasion, their skill was better than ours yesterday [Sunday],” he conceded.
Following a first-innings lead of 46 runs, England were dismissed for 145 in their second innings.
“Jurel showed solid composure, calmness”- Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also commended keeper-batter Jurel for his exceptional performance under pressure in the Ranchi Test. During the post-match presentation, he lauded the youngster’s composure, stating:
“Jurel playing his second Test showed solid composure, calmness and he’s got the shots as well to play all around the wicket. The first innings 90 of his was very crucial for us to get close to that England’s total and again in the second innings showed a lot of maturity, composure along with Gill.”
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The concluding Test of the India-England series is scheduled to take place in Dharamsala, commencing on March 7.
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