Cricket Enthusiasts Rejoice: KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel to Arrive Early for Australia Test Series
New Delhi, November 4, 2024 – In a strategic move to gain valuable match experience ahead of the highly anticipated five-Test series against Australia, Indian batters KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel will arrive in the country a week earlier than the rest of the Test squad.
Rahul and Jurel will join the India A side led by Ruturaj Gaikwad for the second and final four-day fixture, scheduled to take place from November 7 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This comes after the India A team’s narrow seven-wicket loss in the first game, which was marred by a ball-change controversy, although Ishan Kishan managed to avoid a dissent charge following an argument with the on-field umpire.
KL Rahul, who was left out of the playing XI after India’s defeat to New Zealand in the first Test in Bengaluru, will be eager to regain his form and cement his spot in the team. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year, will be looking to make the most of this opportunity to prove his worth, having missed out on selection for the recent home Tests.
The Indian team is set to depart for Australia on November 10, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 22 in Perth. The squad will train at the WACA, the old venue in Perth, ahead of the series opener at the Optus Stadium, where they last played on the 2018-19 tour, which they won 2-1.
“The upcoming Australia tour promises to be a thrilling chapter in India’s quest for cricketing glory, and the early arrival of Rahul and Jurel will undoubtedly provide them with valuable game time and a chance to fine-tune their skills before the high-stakes series.”
While the team is likely to miss the services of captain Rohit Sharma for the opening game due to personal reasons, Abhimanyu Easwaran, who impressed with four consecutive first-class centuries at the start of the domestic season, could be in line to replace him, unless the management decides to reshuffle the batting order.
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