Dhruv Jurel performs a shot on the second day of the second check match between India and Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports activities Membership Floor in Colombo on August 24, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: ANI
The afternoon turned grim, darkish clouds hung low, skyscrapers turned silhouettes and vanished totally from view. The rain was that intense, cascading in waves, similar to how Arundhati Roy wrote in The God of Small Issues: “Slanting silver ropes slammed into unfastened earth, ploughing it like gunfire.”
The liquid intervention at 2.13 p.m. lasted 23 minutes. The environment friendly floor workers on the Sinhalese Sports activities Membership Floor lined the complete turf in sheets and the venue was not ploughed. However the showers compelled a break throughout the second Check’s second day at a time when India was coasting towards Sri Lanka.
Progressively the clouds receded, the solar emerged and play resumed at 4.22 p.m., with India positioned on 475 for eight and Dhruv Jurel on 95. He took his time, was stationary on 99 for some time earlier than scampering for a single after tapping Asitha Fernando in the direction of mid-off. Later he hoisted the seamer for an enormous six.
Whilst Mohammed Siraj left and last-man Prasidh Krishna appeared, Jurel (115 n.o., 177b, 9×4, 2×6) ensured that India crossed 500. Aptly Shubman Gill declared the primary innings at 503 for 9. At shut, Sri Lanka was struggling at eight for 2 with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s diving catch to terminate Lahiru Udara’s stint being the spotlight.
India’s batting effort rested totally on two wicketkeeper-batters — the maverick Rishabh Pant and the environment friendly Jurel. Their 112-run seventh-wicket partnership anchored India previous the 400-mark. Pant (63, 89b, 6×4, 2×6) fell off the primary ball after lunch, whereas attempting to clear long-off towards off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha.
Jurel, although, remained calm. He collected runs at a gradual trot at the same time as Manav Suthar flickered some time earlier than edging left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. After Siraj walked in, Jurel held onto the strike as a lot as he might whereas the previous defended. Jurel on-drove Asitha for 4 after which the skies opened up.
Earlier, resuming at 300 for 5, India misplaced Saransh Jain as he awkwardly fended a short-pitched supply from Asitha. However there have been no Monday morning blues as Pant, who had retired damage on the opening day, returned.
Lahiru Kumara steamed in and pitched it brief across the leg-stump. Pant simply swivelled and pulled a large six that hit the roof. Whereas Jurel remained affected person, Pant was busy.
Host skipper Dhananjaya de Silva positioned fielders at fine-leg, third-man, backward square-leg and sweeper-cover. Pacers, be it Asitha or Kumara, ran in and bounced, hoping for a miscued hit. Pant remained unruffled, and suffered just a few blows too as he ducked and weaved.
He pinched some fours off Nuwantha whereas Jurel pulled Asitha previous the ropes. Prabath discovered Pant drilling one straight down the bottom and shortly the batter reached his 50. Jurel too adopted go well with after which Pant whipped a six off Prabath over mid-wicket as India moved to 419 for six at lunch.
Pant dominated the primary act, and it was time for Jurel to flourish within the second half. He exactly did that for his second Check century.
Printed – August 24, 2026 12:55 pm IST
