Colombo : India put Sri Lanka to backfoot on Day 2 as they reduced the hosts to 8/2, with Sri Lanka still trailing by 495 runs in 1st innings. The visitors scored mammoth 503 runs with help of hundreds from Devdutt Padikkal at Colombo in 2nd Test. However, what caught attention was Dhruv Jurel’s celebration and ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ tattoo on his arm that he displayed during century celebration.
Jurel endured a tense 13-ball wait to move from 99 to his second Test century, finally reaching the milestone with a single off Asitha Fernando. After celebrating by removing his helmet and raising his bat, the wicketkeeper-batsman rolled up his sleeve to reveal his left bicep, emblazoned with the words, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.”
The 25-year-old said the tattoo was a tribute to his grandfather and father – Nem Chand, who were a farmer and a soldier, respectively.
“My grandfather was a farmer, my father was a soldier, so those are my roots, where I came from, and I don’t want to forget it, so that celebration was for my father and grandfather,” Jurel told reporters on Monday.
Jurel also dedicated his hundred to his parents, admitting that his journey would not have been possible without their support.
“Everyone can see how I play, but a lot has gone on in the background, which they have done. Nothing would have been possible without their support,” he added.
In October last year, the right-hander had celebrated reaching his fifty in a Test match against the West Indies in Ahmedabad with a salute and dedicated the gesture to his father. After reaching his maiden Test hundred in the same innings, he dedicated it to the Indian Army.
“The salute (celebration) after reaching my fifty was for my father, but for the hundred, it was something that I had in my mind for a very long time. Because I have been so close to the Indian Army, I’ve seen my father since my childhood… what we do on the ground and what they do on the battlefield is very difficult, and you cannot compare that,” Jurel had said.
Jurel shared a critical 112-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Rishabh Pant on Monday, which gave India the upper hand. The 25-year-old said that batting with Pant eased his batting approach.
“It makes my batting approach easy, because when you are getting runs from one end, like Pant is playing and playing all the shots, the bowlers might think that I don’t want to give runs to him, so he just tries to make mistakes, where I get runs, so it’s easy to bat with him,” Jurel said.
“At the end of the day, we are playing for the same country; whether he gets runs, I get runs, it’s just that the team should win, and if he gets runs, then I am happy,” he added.
Jurel was on 95 when the heavens opened up, and the rain ensured that early tea was taken, delaying the start of play. He said that he was used to the breaks in play, having toured earlier with India A.
“I am kind of used to it, the condition, that game on and off, because I was there; I was touring India A, so I know, I am aware of the situation. While batting, I was just trying to bat in partnerships because, as the coach said, the captain said, he always says that try to assess the condition, the situation, what is asking from you, and just pick your pockets and play positively,” he added.
Jurel also spoke about being stranded on 99 for 13 balls, admitting that Asitha Fernando was bowling well and he took the single because he felt he had found a gap, after hitting the ball over the bowler and had his heart in his mouth when the fielder threw towards the stumps.
“I don’t know, when I was on 99, before that, he (Asitha) was bowling decently, I was getting runs, I got on 99, he started bowling good lengths and lines, good fielding, so when I played that short, he was going over the head of the bowler, I thought, there is some gap, since he grabbed that ball, I was like, ‘oh god, please save me’,” he said.
