“You certainly tried to give Nitish Kumar Reddy many chances” - Former India all-rounder backs Dhruv Jurel’s inclusion for IND vs SA 2025 1st Test

Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar has backed the inclusion of Dhruv Jurel for the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa, starting Friday, November 14, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Ahead of the series, on November 12, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was released from the squad to join the India A side for the one-day series against South Africa A.

Meanwhile, on the same day, during a pre-game conference, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate also hinted at Jurel’s inclusion.

On the eve of the Test, Thursday, November 13, during a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Bangar was asked about the possibility of including both Rishabh Pant and Jurel in the playing XI, to which he said:

“I agree, because you certainly tried to give Nitish Kumar Reddy as many chances as possible so that he could be prepared for overseas Test matches. However, in Test cricket, it’s a bit difficult to develop a player while playing at the highest level. If you already have an in-form batter, and let’s not forget, there are still a few spots open in India’s batting lineup, then you would definitely want to develop that player as well.” “If you have a batter in good form, with the right skill set, who has scored runs in tough conditions, you’d want to invest in him too, because batting will be equally important when India plays their next away series in New Zealand. So, in that context, if India decides to go with both wicketkeepers, it would be the right decision,” he added.

Dhruv Jurel recently impressed with a twin hundred (132* and 127*) for India A in the second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru. Overall, he has played seven Tests, scoring 430 runs at an average of 47.77, including one century and one fifty.

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“His primary job is still wicketkeeping” - Sanjay Bangar backs India vice-captain to take on the gloves

During the same discussion, Sanjay Bangar backed vice-captain Rishabh Pant to continue his wicketkeeping duties, even if Dhruv Jurel is included in the XI, saying:

“The gloves will remain with Pant because, despite how much he has entertained and contributed with the bat for the Indian team, his primary job is still wicketkeeping. Jurel will serve as the backup keeper. The advantage for India is that they won’t need to use a substitute fielder as a wicketkeeper if such a situation arises.”

Rishabh Pant has played 47 Tests, scoring 3,427 runs at an average of 44.50, including 18 fifties and eight centuries. Behind the stumps, he has taken 156 catches and effected 15 stumpings.

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Edited by Dev Sharma