Former Indian wicket-keeper Saba Karim lauded Dhruv Jurel after the right-hander scored a stunning century in the first innings of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Colombo on Monday.

Jurel scored an unbeaten knock of 115 runs off 177 balls with the help of nine fours and two sixes, which is his second Test century. The wicket-keeper-batsman looked in complete control throughout his innings and batted at the top of his game.

Jurel added 112 runs with Rishabh Pant, who also scored a crucial knock of 63 runs for the seventh wicket. Karim said Jurel is one of the emerging batters at the international level.

Saba Karim said on Sony Sports, “Jurel’s knock was the standout in this innings. He is very lucid in his stroke play, which makes him one of the emerging batters at the international level. His understanding of the game is excellent. You can see why a wicketkeeper is playing as a pure batter. His setup is very organized, and there is brevity in his footwork.”

“He has bailed the side out from precarious situations earlier as well, showcasing great composure. He puts a lot of value and price on his wicket and seldom gets out in a manner very unlike the composure that he exudes. “

On the other hand, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar praised Jurel for his impressive knock. Manjrekar highlighted that Jurel look flawless and he didn’t notice any false shot in his knock.

“Dhruv Jurel has played a similar innings to Devdutt Padikkal in the first Test. He has been flawless, and I’ve not seen any false shot in his innings. He looks a copybook cricketer and a proper No.5 or 6. I would have sent him before Jadeja because you don’t want to send somebody like Jurel so late that you start running out of partners,” said Manjrekar (via the aforementioned source).

India posted 503-9 in the first innings whereas Sri Lanka ended the third day’s play at 265-8.