Young wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel opened up about the batting advice he got from former India captain MS Dhoni.
Jurel is a part of India's squad for the first two Tests against England. He missed out on the first Test in Hyderabad where the hosts suffered a 28-run defeat.
Jurel who is a big admirer of Dhoni talked about the conversation he had with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper and the advice of backing himself that he got from him that has helped him improve as a batter.
"I have always been the biggest fan of MS Dhoni. Last year, I got a chance to speak to him and I asked him, 'What is your mindset when you are going inside?' He simply said, 'Just watch the ball and play. Don't think about anything. Whatever pressure is coming, it's coming from outside. You have to visualize how you are going to play a bowler. Just let it be, get your preparation done, and just watch the ball. You have already done so much, that's why you are here, just don't doubt yourself, go out and play, and express yourself. Don't worry about the result, focus on the process," Jurel said on JioCinema.
The 23-year-old batter who can provide crucial contributions with the bat also possesses the skill set to take the role behind the stumps.
He talked about the wicketkeeping aspect of his game and said, "I enjoy wicket-keeping. I enjoy the fact that the ball is coming to me, I am very involved in the game. The ball comes the most to a keeper in a match.
“Even more than batting, I love wicket-keeping. In any format you play, the ball has to come to me and I enjoy it. It's not a burden for me, I enjoy every moment the ball comes to me.
“Wicket-keeping has helped me in batting as well. If we are bowling first, I find out how the wicket is behaving, what I can do, what shots are in play today."
India will play the second Test against England on Friday at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, in Visakhapatnam.
