Jurel scores 51 after Gambhir and Gill support

Dhruv Jurel ended a lean spell by scoring 51 off 68 balls on Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, helping India reach 460 for nine. Jurel said he felt no pressure despite not having made a fifty in his previous seven innings. He thanked head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for their backing. "Whenever I speak to the captain or head coach, they always tell me what to do, what the situation is," Jurel said, as reported by rediff.com. The Hindu quoted him saying, "There is no personal milestone that I look for before batting."

Jurel credited his India A experience at the same venue for helping him read the pitch and conditions. He said the team's plan was to score as many runs as possible without reckless batting after rain delays. Jurel also backed India's bowlers to take all 20 wickets with disciplined bowling. "We need to put the ball in right areas and get those 20 wickets. Our score of 450-odd is very good on this pitch," he told The Hindu.

The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter praised teammate Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 167, and said the team will focus on winning the match. The rain-affected Test has three days remaining, and Jurel said India cannot think about the time lost to weather.