Dhruv Jurel credits Gambhir and Gill after ending lean run with fifty in Galle Test

Dhruv Jurel ended a seven-innings drought with a crucial fifty for India on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Sunday, and he credited head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for clarity and confidence during the lean patch.

India reached 460/9 in 116 overs at the close of play on Day 2, with Jurel contributing a 68-ball 51 as part of a substantial lower-order effort after the team lost two sessions to rain and a wet outfield. The knock ended a sequence of seven innings without a half-century for the 25-year-old and came amid a match where managing conditions and time had been a challenge.

Jurel said he did not feel pressure and expressed gratitude for representing his country. "There was, honestly, no pressure. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to represent India. That's the only privilege that I play for," Jurel said in the post-day press conference.

He also described the communication he received from the leadership during the difficult phase. "So whenever I speak to the captain or head coach, they always tell me what to do, what the situation is. So, tell me to play accordingly. There is no personal milestone that I look for before batting. I just go there and do what the team needs," he said.

Jurel pointed to his preparations in the lead-up to the Test as beneficial in adapting to local conditions. The 25-year-old had played at the same venue for India A in the lead-up to the Test series, and he said that experience helped him get a better understanding of the conditions. "We came here 10 days before. We practised in Colombo and before that played for India A, and we had 4-5 sessions. It's all about batting on these kinds of surfaces as much as I can. "It improves my batting, knows the environment, and knows the situation. So it's really helpful," he noted.

On tactics during his innings, Jurel outlined a conservative approach focused on accumulation and sensible shot selection rather than forcing scoring. "You can say that the plan was that we can make as many runs as possible. The plan was not that from the ball once, we are going bonkers. "The plan was that we can make as many runs as possible by playing sensible cricket and make some good partnerships at the lower order," he said.

Jurel also praised team-mate Devdutt Padikkal for his innings that placed India in a strong position. Padikkal scored a wonderful 167 to put India in a commanding position. "He has already made runs for India A and now here. So, whenever he gets a chance, he gets runs. So as a fellow cricketer, it feels good that he is doing great for India," he added.

Looking towards the remainder of the match, Jurel said India’s bowlers would need to be patient and consistent to secure a result. "I think we will have to put in a lot of long spells, just like SL bowlers and we will have to be consistent. There is no rocket science. We need to put balls in great areas. That's all and we have to keep it simple. "We will have to play with determination if we want to win the match, we need to take those 20 wickets."