Dhruv Jurel's fighting 132* lifts India A to 255

Stumps India A 255 (Jurel 132*, Pant 24, van Vuuren 4-52) v South Africa A

Dhruv Jurel's recent form has been hard to ignore. Scores of 124, 44, and 6* against West Indies showcased his consistency and growing maturity as a batter. With Rishabh Pant's return to the Test fold imminent, Jurel is now making a strong case to be considered purely as a specialist batter.

That scenario might soon become reality if India decide to strengthen their middle order with a specialist No. 6 instead of an allrounder. The tussle for that spot could well come down to a battle between Jurel and Nitish Reddy.

On Thursday, with India A in deep trouble against a fired-up South Africa A attack on a green seamer at BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Jurel's lower-order rearguard not only steadied the innings but also helped steer them to respectability. En route, he brought up his fourth first-class century - remarkably, three of those have come since June.

Only a couple of months ago, he compiled a brilliant hundred against Australia A in Lucknow on a turner. This one in seaming conditions was equally masterful in the way he helped steady a floundering innings. From 124 for 7, he helped add 131 for the last three wickets as India A ended 255 all out at stumps. Jurel was 132 not out, an innings that comprised 12 fours and four sixes.

Jurel's other competitor for a middle order berth in India A's XI on Thursday, Devdutt Padikkal, managed just 5 - his third-straight single-digit score. Padikkal, like Jurel, had impressed against Australia A and in the Ranji Trophy, but may have slipped behind in the race for a recall after having most recently played for India last November in Perth.

The morning began with Abhimanyu Easwaran bagging a three-ball duck - missing out yet again for India A, after he played down the wrong line to a nip-backer from Okhule Cele that trapped him plumb in front. KL Rahul, his opening partner, tucked himself to three boundaries in a single over - a cover drive, glide over the slips and neat leg glance - but fell chasing an away-going delivery that he tried to drive on the up off left-arm seamer Tiaan van Vuuren.

B Sai Sudharsan looked tentative once again. On nought for 12 deliveries, he was finally off the mark when he laced a half-volley through the covers to pick up a boundary. Troubled by the moving ball, Sai Sudharsan stood well outside the crease and then tried to advance further down to negate the late movement - something that often got him into trouble.

He was eventually felled by Subrayen, the offspinner, when he played for the skid, only to see the ball rip away to beat the outside edge and hit his back pad. Sudharsan made a 52-ball 17 to go with scores of 32 and 12 in the first four-day fixture last week.

Coming off a 90, Pant seemed intent on taking the attack to the bowlers from the get-go. He charged out of the crease off his very first delivery, and hit Subrayen for a slog-sweep and lofted hit off consecutive balls - the highlights in his 20-ball 24 - before he was out looking to clear the infield.

Van Vuuren challenged batters both off the inside and outside edges by getting the ball to move late and then seam off the surface, one such delivery accounting for Harsh Dubey as he was early into the flick only for the ball to bobble off the back part of the bat onto the body, and eventually the stumps.

Kuldeep Yadav suffered an early concussion scare on 2 when the wicketkeeper ran into him and had him land awkwardly on the floor with his helmet bouncing up. After a few uncomfortable moments, he regained composure and battled his way against some quality seam bowling. Reprieved on 7 by Zubayr Hamza in the slips just before tea, Kuldeep helped add 79 for the eighth-wicket with Jurel, who was solid, showed patience and didn't play a rash shot at any stage as he brought up a 62-ball half-century.

Jurel was equally adept both off the front and back foot against the moving ball, cutting and driving imperiously. The secret to his knock lay in playing late and getting a big forward stride off the seamers to cover for any late movement. After initially playing with his bat close to the body, and keen on crease occupation, Jurel seamlessly switched gears to put away the bad balls, eventually bringing up his century off 146 deliveries to single-handedly bail India A out on a bowling day.