'The celebration at fifty was for my father and the celebration after the hundred was for the army. I always have my respect for them for what they do on the battle field.'
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel on Friday dedicated his maiden Test hundred against the West Indies to the Indian Army, saying he has always had "respect for what they do on the battlefield".
Jurel struck a neat 125 on the second day of the opening Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad, helping India reach a dominant 448 for five at stumps after senior colleagues K L Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also helped themselves to hundreds.
Besides his excellent display with the bat, the 24-year-old Jurel's celebration, after reaching his hundred as well as the half-century, also caught everyone's attention.
The army salute was a tribute to the Indian army and his father, who is a Kargil war veteran.
"The salute (celebration) after reaching my fifty was for my father, but for the hundred, it was something that I had in my mind for a very long time because I have been so close to the Indian Army, I've seen my father since my childhood," Jurel said.
"What we do on the ground and what they do on the battlefield is very difficult and you cannot compare that. I will always have my respect and whatever I will do in the future will be for them.
"I will like to dedicate this to them (Indian Army) for what they do. I have seen them closely how it is like and I remain very fascinated in those things. I also used to keep asking my father. I will dedicate it to those who deserve."
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