The famous nervous nineties tried to break the best cricketers in the world, but Dhruv Jurel had to fight them in the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the SSC Ground in Colombo. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter came out to bat at number eight and scored an impressive 115 runs, guiding his team to a strong declaration of 503 for 9.
However, it took a while for Dhruv Jurel to reach the century mark. The first innings was his first real Test, and despite his vast experience, he struggled to score runs.
The most challenging moment came when he was on 99, and the Sri Lankan bowlers put on relentless pressure, forcing him to defend a double. Luckily for Jurel, he quickly shook off the pressure and drove a single to complete his century. In total, he faced 171 balls and scored 115 runs, including 13 singles.
Most Balls Taken from 99 to 100 by an Indian in Tests Including Dhruv Jurel (Since 2007)
| player | Opponent | Venue | Year |
Balls Spent on 99
|
| Ravichandran Ashwin | West Indies | Gros Islet | 2016 | 15 |
| Murali Vijay | England | Trent Bridge | 2014 | 14 |
| Dhruv Jurel | Sri Lanka | Colombo (SSC) | 2026 | 13 |
| VVS Laxman | Australia | Delhi | 2008 | 12 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | Australia | Nagpur | 2008 | 12 |
Dhruv Jurel's 13-ball innings in the first Test against England is the third-longest by an Indian batter in Tests since 2007. He joined the list of greats such as VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar, who waited for 12 balls each in the infamous Test series against Australia in 2008. Murali Vijay's 13-ball innings at Trent Bridge in 2014 and Ravichandran Ashwin's 15-ball stand in Gros Islet in 2015 are the only two longer innings than Jurel's in India's Test history.
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For Jurel, those 13 balls will be etched in stone as a display of good sense to cement his place in the top order.