![Dhruv Jurel celebrates his century vs Sri Lanka [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1787578292958_DhruvJurelTestCenturyCelebration.jpg?type=hq)
Dhruv Jurel celebrates his century vs Sri Lanka [Source: AFP]
Dhruv Jurel racked up his second Test century on Day 2 of the ongoing Test between India and Sri Lanka. Upon completing his hundred, he flexed his bicep to flaunt his tattoo as part of his celebration.
Having already batted overnight, Jurel's century helped India reach 503/9 (dec.) after 138 overs in under two days, putting Sri Lanka into bat for the final hour of the day. He later went on to reveal the story behind his tattoo and the celebration.
What does Dhruv Jurel’s tattoo mean?
At 135.4 over mark, Jurel punched an Asitha Fernando ball towards mid-off and went for a quick single. He had to dive to save himself but completed the run. In the midst of the 171-ball century celebrations with Mohammed Siraj, Jurel looked at the dressing room and flexed his bicep.
At first glance, it looked like he was showing his body, but it turned out that Jurel was showing his tattoo, which read “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan,” a famous 1965 quote by Lal Bahadur Shastri. This literally translates to “Hail the soldiers, hail the farmers.”
This quote was given by the former Prime Minister of India to emphasise the importance of the protectors (soldiers) and feeders (farmers) of the nation during the war-like situation with Pakistan.
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Why did Jurel show his tattoo after scoring a century vs SL?
After being India’s best player on the day, taking the overnight score of 300/2 to 503/9 (dec.), Dhruv Jurel was the one addressing the post-day press conference from the Indian camp. Upon being asked about his celebration, he revealed the emotional reason for having that inked on his body.
“I don’t want to forget my roots; my grandfather is a farmer & Dad was a soldier. That’s why the Tattoo Celebration,” he said.
On previous occasions when he has scored a fifty or a hundred for India, he has given tribute to his father by doing army salutes and similar celebrations.
Jurel solidifies his place in Test XI
The 25-year-old first broke into the Indian Test XI against England in 2024. At the time, Rishabh Pant was yet to return from his long accident layoff, while other wicketkeeper batters, like Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat, went out of favour.
Since then, he has only played as a backup wicketkeeper, in case Pant is injured. However, this time around, India suddenly had two starting XI players, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, out injured, and the opportunity was presented to Jurel.
Having previously batted up and down the order, Jurel got a fixed role to bat at 7 in this series, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. As things stand with potentially an innings left, Jurel has scored 173 runs in the series, averaging 86.50 with a fifty and 115*.
Now, unless India wants to add another spinner in Washington Sundar at 7, it looks like Dhruv Jurel has sealed his spot in the team, despite Sarfaraz Khan’s availability in this series. He has proven that he can play alongside Rishabh Pant in the same playing XI as a pure batter.
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