New Delhi (India), April 8: The recent five-Test series between India and England saw a perceived under-strength India squad make short work of Brendon McCullum's much-vaunted visitors after the English had come out firing in the first Test.
India's ultimate 4-1 comeback victory portrayed the depth available to the hope selectors. Although established stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja all played massive roles in securing an emphatic series win, it was the emerging talent in the Indian squad that truly caught the eye. Let's look at three of these fledgling achievers now.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Coming into the England series, Yashasvi Jaiswal was a somewhat unheralded name, with even the best online gambling sites and apps in India, as ranked by Techopedia, not expecting the fireworks he delivered.
22-year-old Jaiswal burst onto the Test scene in 2023, becoming the first Indian batsman to score a century on debut away from home. The stylish left-hander scored 171 against the West Indies and ended his first Test series with an average of 88.66 over three innings.
Critics questioned the quality of the opposition, though, and Jaiswal's failure in the subsequent away series in South Africa, when he scored only 50 runs in four innings at a 12.50 average, tempered expectations in the young opener.
With star batsman Virat Kohli missing for the England series, the pressure was on Jaiswal to succeed, and he didn't disappoint. He ended the series as the top scorer with a massive aggregate of 712 runs, including two double-centuries, while also topping the averages at 89.00. Jaiswal's achievement earned him the Player of the Series award.
With 26 sixes in the series, Jaiswal showed how valuable he will likely be to his franchise, Rajasthan Royals, the bookies' pre-tournament third-favourites at 17/2 in the upcoming IPL. Yashasvi Jaiswal's name is guaranteed to be more prominent in future cricketing formats and competitions.
Akash Deep
At 27, Akash Deep is not a youngster in cricketing terms but is certainly a late bloomer. The right-arm medium-fast bowler was first called up to the India Test squad as a replacement during the tour of South Africa last year but did not feature during the series. Deep was awarded his Test debut in the fourth Test of the England series at Ranchi, which India won by five wickets.
In a Test match dominated by spin bowlers, Deep's seamers created the initial breakthroughs as he took the wickets of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley, the first three England wickets to fall, to leave the visitors reeling at 57/3.
Although he would take no more in the match, Deep's Test debut figures of 3/87 formed the foundation for another Indian win. Deep will turn out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming IPL tournament. At 9/1, his franchise should reach the latter stages, and Akash Deep's contribution will likely prove invaluable to them doing so.
Dhruv Jurel
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Yurel debuted in the third Test against England at Rajkot, making an invaluable 46 after taking over from centurion Ravindra Jadeja to see India past 400 in the first innings. His second test, the fourth of the series , was where Jurel proved his worth as a batsman, top-scoring with 90 while strategically managing the strike as India recovered from 161/5 to reach 307.
At 23 and inexperienced in the Test arena, Yurel's maturity at the crease meant India finished only 46 runs behind the visitors in the first innings. On a pitch taking increasing spin, India removed England for 145 in the second innings. Yurel subsequently saw his side home in pursuit of the 192-run victory target with a watchful 39 not out in India's second innings.
Like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. If his franchise is to challenge Mumbai Indians (9/2) and Chennai Super Kings (5/1) for the IPL title this year, Jurel's lower middle-order batting skill will likely be essential. His cool head will assist The Royals through any potential sticky spots during the campaign.
