Cricket

Dhruv Jurel's impressive performance in the unofficial Test between India 'A' and Australia 'A' has sparked calls for his inclusion in the Indian Test squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).Jurel, who arrived in Australia early with KL Rahul for match practice, showcased his batting prowess with scores of 80 and 68. His ability to handle the pace and bounce of the Australian bowlers, which can be challenging for Indian batsmen, has caught the attention of former Australia captain Tim Paine.Paine, who coached Australia 'A' in the match, was particularly impressed with Jurel's 80 off 186 balls in the first innings. "I don't know if you saw much of the highlights, but after seeing him bat – even though he's a wicket-keeper, from what I've seen on this tour and from India's batting in the last couple of months, I'd be staggered if he doesn't play," Paine said.Jurel's current role in the Indian squad is as a backup wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant. However, with captain Rohit Sharma likely to miss the Perth Test and KL Rahul struggling for form, head coach Gautam Gambhir may consider using Jurel as a specialist batsman."He's 23 and he's played three Test matches, but he looked a class above all of his teammates, to be fair, and handled the pace and bounce really well, which can be unusual for an Indian player," Paine added.Jurel's Test debut came against England earlier this year, where he impressed with a 46-run knock in Rajkot. He came close to scoring a century in the next match at Ranchi, where he made 90. In his three-Test career, Jurel has aggregated 190 runs in four innings at an average of 63.33.With his strong showing in Melbourne, Jurel has made a strong case for his inclusion in the Indian Test team for the BGT. His ability to bat in different positions and handle the Australian conditions could prove invaluable for India.

India's Sarfaraz Khan has cemented his place in the Test team after his impressive century in the first Test against New Zealand. Despite Shubman Gill's return from injury, the team management has opted to retain Sarfaraz, dropping out-of-form KL Rahul.Sarfaraz's 150 in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test, which India lost by eight wickets, has earned him praise from former India batter Aakash Chopra. Chopra believes Sarfaraz should be included in the squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia."In the squad, yes, in the playing XI, we don't know yet. You will need to carry enough, and it might be a larger squad anyways, it is a five-Test match series. First time in Australia, we are going to play five matches," Chopra said."Sarfaraz, whenever he has played, it is just not about the last Test match, what he did against England was also commendable, so there is no reason for us to even speculate that he won't be part of the touring squad, I think it is a given he will be there," he added.New Zealand, who won the first Test for their first Test victory in India since 1988, lead the three-match series 1-0. Spinners are expected to play a key role in the second Test in Pune.New Zealand have made one change, with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner replacing fast bowler Matt Henry, who has a "glute niggle." India have made three changes, with Gill, fast bowler Akash Deep, and spinner Washington Sundar coming into the team.Rahul, pace bowler Mohammed Siraj, and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav have been dropped.

Harshit Rana Released from Test Set-up, to Join Delhi for Ranji TrophyIndia seamer Harshit Rana has been released from the Test squad and will return to his domestic team, Delhi, for their upcoming Ranji Trophy fixture against Assam. The decision was made at the request of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), which is without the services of Navdeep Saini, who has been named in the India A squad for the tour of Australia.Rana, 22, has been serving as a traveling reserve for the Indian Test team during their recent series against New Zealand. While he did not feature in any of the matches, his time with the national side has provided him with valuable experience. He will now get some much-needed game time under his belt as Delhi looks to improve their position in the Ranji Trophy standings.Rana's release from the Test set-up is part of a larger trend of players being released to their domestic teams for competitive match practice. Nitish Kumar Reddy, another traveling reserve, has already been released and has played for Andhra in their last fixture. Mayank Yadav is also expected to be released soon and has been told to prepare for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.Delhi will be relying heavily on Rana to lead their attack in their crucial home game against Assam. The team has accumulated just four points from their first two games and needs to improve their performance to qualify for the knockout stages. Rana's experience and skill will be vital in helping Delhi achieve their goals.In addition to Rana's return, Delhi has also made other changes to their squad. Opener Dhruv Kaushik has been ruled out for the next 2-3 games due to a hand injury, while Divij Mehra and Money Grewal have been added to the pace department.

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has suggested that left-arm pacer Yash Dayal could be considered for a place in the Indian Test team for the second Test against Bangladesh, starting on Friday in Kanpur. Patel believes that Dayal, who has "tremendous potential," could replace either Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj, giving India an opportunity to field a left-arm pacer."This will be a great chance to see a left-armer. It has been a while since India had a left-arm seamer, so I feel if he gets the chance, it will be good. We will know. Yash Dayal has tremendous potential. So I don't think there is harm in trying," Patel said.Patel's suggestion comes in the wake of India's emphatic 280-run victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. Skipper Rohit Sharma had earlier indicated that the team would be monitoring the workload of their pacers throughout their busy Test schedule, which extends until January next year.Another aspect that will be closely watched in the second Test is the middle-order setup of the Indian team. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Dhruv Jurel impressed during India's 4-1 series triumph over England earlier this year, but with the return of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, Patel believes it may be difficult for them to break into the playing XI."I don't think Sarfaraz and Dhruv will make a comeback to the side. Rishabh has just made a comeback. Both of them are very very talented players and very much ready for Test cricket. But they will have to wait for their chances," Patel added.Jurel and Dayal have been included in the Rest of India squad for the upcoming Irani Cup, while Sarfaraz has been selected in Mumbai's squad. If they are unable to make it to the playing XI against Bangladesh, they will have the opportunity to feature in the Irani Cup.