Dhruv Jurel’s promising knock came to a strange end on Day 1 of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, as the India batter was dismissed in a bizarre fashion after a rare lapse in judgment. Jurel had looked in good touch, scoring 19 off just 20 balls with four crisp boundaries before Afghanistan pacer Mohammad Saleem Safi produced a delivery that completely outfoxed him.
The right-hander initially appeared set to leave the ball, judging it would travel outside off stump. Instead, the ball held its line for just long enough before shaping back in sharply off the pitch. By the time Jurel realised the delivery was coming back in, it was too late to react.
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Having already committed to leaving the ball, he was left frozen as it slipped through the gap between bat and pad and crashed into the stumps. The wicketkeeper-batter stood in disbelief after what had been a fluent and confident start to his innings.
Horrible leave from Dhruv Jurel
Afghanistan have 5
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— The Cricket Vault (@TheCricketVault) June 7, 2026
Replays later showed that Jurel’s front foot did not go far enough towards the pitch of the ball. A slightly bigger stride might have helped him judge the movement better and either defend the delivery or leave it safely. Instead, the small error proved costly and brought an abrupt end to his promising stay at the crease.
Even Safi appeared unsure at first whether he had actually struck the stumps. But the moment the bails came off, his celebration told the full story. It was a brilliant delivery from the Afghanistan seamer, who managed to produce one of the standout balls of the match and earn a key breakthrough for his side.
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For India, it was a reminder of how unforgiving red-ball cricket can be, especially when conditions offer movement and bowlers are hitting the right areas. For Jurel, it was a painful dismissal, but one that also reflected the fine margins that define Test cricket.
