India’s reset after a 0-3 jolt: why two players flew out early
A 0-3 home defeat to New Zealand doesn’t happen to India often, and it forced a rethink. The BCCI moved quickly, sending KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel to Australia ahead of the seniors to sharpen up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both were added to the India A squad for the second unofficial four-day first-class match against Australia A at the MCG from November 7, a match arranged to provide time in the middle before the first Test in Perth on November 22.
The call made sense on paper. Rahul, dropped during the New Zealand series after a lean run, needed overs, rhythm, and some confidence in Australian conditions. Since September he had scraped together 118 runs in five innings across two series, with one fifty and a duck. That forced the selectors’ hand for the second and third Tests against New Zealand, where he sat out. Australia was a chance to reset, face the Kookaburra, and answer the question that always comes for touring batters: can you handle pace and bounce from ball one?
Dhruv Jurel’s case was different but just as urgent. He made his Test debut against England earlier in 2024 and then slipped to the fringes once Rishabh Pant returned. He only appeared in the New Zealand opener as a substitute keeper when Pant took a knock on his knee. For a young wicketkeeper-batter, missing match time is brutal. The management wanted him ready if needed during a long, seven-week tour where injuries, fatigue, and form can turn a settled squad upside down.
There’s another layer. Gautam Gambhir has only just taken over as head coach, and back-to-back series defeats—Sri Lanka away and New Zealand at home—have already put him under the microscope. Sending Rahul and Jurel early was a proactive move that fits the broader shift: less talk, more cricket-specific prep on the ground where it matters.
Conditions play a huge part in this strategy. Australia is a different game—harder tracks, spongy bounce in some cities, truer carry in others, and a Kookaburra ball that goes soft quickly but can cut and wobble early. Batters need their leaves sorted, their back-foot game tight, and their minds clear when the ball is short and at the body. Keepers face their own exam: standing back to high-quality pace for long spells and keeping their hands soft as the ball lifts late. There’s no shortcut to that. You learn it by playing.
The timing was also about selection pressure. There were questions around the opening slot, with chatter that Rohit Sharma might miss the first Test in Perth due to personal reasons. Yashasvi Jaiswal has the inside track at one end. The other spot, at least for the opener in Perth, looked like a live audition between Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran in the Australia A game. If Rohit made it on time, that audition would still be useful—because touring squads can change shape fast.
What the Australia A game told us—and what it didn’t
On the scoreboard, the contrast could not have been sharper. Rahul made 4 and 10. Jurel peeled off 80 and 68 and was India A’s top-scorer in both innings. Those aren’t small numbers; they’re statements. Jurel didn’t just hang in—he built, he reset, and he cashed in long enough to move the needle on selection. In a week designed as a tune-up, he made it a headline.
For Rahul, the story is tougher. Two low scores won’t erase years of experience, but they do keep the noise loud. He’s been here before in Australia. He knows the angles, and he’s made runs in these parts earlier in his career. The problem now is simple: India need early stability in Perth, not just pedigree. If he’s in the XI, it has to be for runs and clarity of role, not reputation.
Jurel’s timing could not be better. Pant is back in the mix, and if he’s fully fit, he starts. That’s the reality. But management loves a clean contingency plan. A keeper who’s just banked two strong knocks at the MCG presents exactly that—insurance if Pant is not 100 percent, and a real option if team balance shifts. Carrying two keepers on a long tour isn’t extravagant; it’s practical.
There is a selection wrinkle to talk through. If Rohit is available for Perth, the opening pair likely resets to Rohit-Jaiswal. That squeezes Rahul’s path as an opener. Could he drop into the middle order? Maybe, but the traffic there is heavy. India have invested time in their young core, and the coach has pushed a “form-first” line since taking charge. That makes the next few training days vital for Rahul: center-wicket sessions in Perth, throwdowns at higher length, and a lot of work on the leave outside off. He has to arrive at Test speed quickly.
From the team’s side, the early arrival program is only part of the prep. The bowlers will stack overs in practice to simulate Perth’s longer spells and heavier workloads. The batters will spend time leaving on length and playing the short ball without panic. Even slip catching needs a tweak in Australia: more carry, different angles, and less reaction time when nicked hard. These are all small details, but they add up to a series that can feel very different from home cricket.
The India A pathway matters here. Across the past decade, shadow tours have quietly fed the senior team. Batters learned to build long innings away from home without the full glare. Bowlers got used to holding lines with the Kookaburra when it stopped doing much after 20 overs. When India won in Australia in 2020-21, several players who were hardened on A tours handled chaos when injuries hit. That playbook hasn’t vanished; it has been adapted.
So where does this leave Jurel right now? Squarely in the frame. Two polished knocks in Melbourne don’t automatically promote him ahead of Pant, but they do change the tone of the conversation. He’s shown he can start again after a break, absorb pace, and keep scoring through the middle of the innings. It’s a skill India value in Australia, where batters often get stuck on 20s and 30s after the new ball fades.
And Rahul? The selectors will weigh experience, team structure, and now, evidence from the A game. There’s an argument to give a senior batter time across a whole series to find touch. There’s a counter-argument: Perth is a tough opener, momentum matters, and a slow start can put you behind the series. Gambhir and the selection group have leaned towards sharper calls in recent weeks. That trend suggests Rahul has work to do in Perth nets to force his way back into the XI.
One more angle to watch is leadership. Rohit’s availability shapes the batting order and the dressing-room rhythm. If he misses the first Test, India lose not just an opener but their on-field anchor. That puts extra weight on the first hour in Perth. An early wicket can rattle a new opening pair. A steady 20-over block can settle an entire side. Selection won’t just be about names; it’ll be about temperament for that first morning.
Australia A’s role in this story isn’t minor either. Those games are designed to mirror the senior side’s demands—pace-heavy attacks, fields that squeeze the square drive, and spells that test the leaving game. Getting time at the MCG is a bonus; even in early November, there’s enough pace and carry to show up technical gaps. Jurel cashed in. Rahul didn’t. The gap is clear for now.
Zoom out and the message from BCCI is simple: no complacency, no coasting on past wins. After the New Zealand shock, they’re trying to get ahead of problems rather than chasing them mid-series. Early arrivals, live auditions, and flexibility in selection are all part of that plan. If it works, India hit Perth sharper and calmer. If it doesn’t, at least they’ve learned fast what needs fixing.
What happens next? The seniors gather in Perth, with more intense net sessions, scenario-based drills, and a couple of center-wicket run-throughs. Rahul is expected to stay on with the main group and get extended time with the coaches. Jurel, after his MCG runs, should also link up with the senior team setup as a live option. The final XI will stay under wraps until Rohit’s status is clear.
Selection questions to track over the next week:
- Opening partner for Jaiswal if Rohit misses Perth: Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran?
- Wicketkeeper slot if Pant is not fully fit: Jurel has the strongest recent case.
- Bench strength: carrying two keepers and a spare opener for a long tour sounds smart, not excessive.
For fans, the takeaway is uncomplicated. The A game did its job. It gave two players a chance to be match-ready, and it gave the selectors fresh data. Jurel grabbed it. Rahul, for now, is still searching. With Perth around the corner and Australia in their own backyard, India want clarity, not maybes. The next few days in training will tell us who’s closest to that answer.