"I started my career as a fast bowler" - Team India wicketkeeper makes huge revelation about his early days amid ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Team India wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel revealed that he began his career as a fast bowler in his early days. Jurel is a part of the Indian squad for the ongoing Test series against England.

Interestingly, Jurel was not a wicketkeeper right from the start. He revealed that in an academy during his younger days, he used to bowl and liked fast bowling. However, it was his coach who asked him to quit bowling and shift to batting.

"I started my career as a fast bowler. I used to bowl. My coach told me one day that bowling is not your cup of tea leave it. I told him no I like it, I like the aggression. But he made me leave bowling and I started batting. I started off-spin, leg-spin, part-time," he recalled during an interview on Sony Sports Network. (2:12)

Noticing his skills as a fielder, his coach then asked him to try his hand at wicketkeeping as well. While he initially did not like keeping, Jurel eventually took the advice, trusting his coach.

"But my coach told me you field well why don't you try keeping? I told no I don't want to keep I don't like it. But he asked me to trust him. I did it then and the decision I took is with me till today and I feel good about taking that call at that time," he said.

Dhruv Jurel has played four Tests for India so far. He has scored 202 runs at an average of 40.40 with a top score of 90. Jurel has an impressive first-class record as well. He has 1462 runs from 24 matches at an average of 48.73 with a hundred and 12 half-centuries.

---

Dhruv Jurel is keeping wickets for India in the fourth Test against England

Dhruv Jurel is yet to play a Test for India on this tour. However, he is keeping wickets as a substitute wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant in the ongoing fourth Test in Manchester.

Pant fractured his toe on the opening day and walked off midway through his batting innings. He returned to finish his innings on the second day. However, the BCCI issued an update that Jurel would take over wicketkeeping duties.

Notably, when Pant had injured his finger in the third Test at Lord's, Jurel filed in as a subtitute wicketkeeper. In the first innings, he took the catches of Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, and Chris Woakes.

Should Pant not feature in the fifth Test for India at The Oval, it will be interesting to see if Jurel makes it to the playing 11.