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Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Dhruv Jurel cannot compete with Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper-batter's position for the first Test against South Africa. However, he noted that Jurel can play as a specialist batter, with Nitish Kumar Reddy potentially losing his place in the XI.The first Test of the two-match series between India and South Africa will be played in Kolkata from November 14 onwards. Jurel has amassed twin unbeaten hundreds in the ongoing second unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A in Bengaluru.In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener acknowledged that Jurel cannot play ahead of Pant in the first Test against South Africa. He reckoned that the hosts should leave out Nitish and persist with Jurel and Sai Sudharsan in the XI."The team has been selected and both Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant are there. Rishabh Pant will play. Rishabh Pant is the vice-captain. So he is going to play and he should play. He is a generational talent if you talk about Test cricket, but I feel Dhruv Jurel should also be played. A place should be created for him in the XI," Chopra said (10:15)."The question will be whether you will compromise Sai Sudharsan from the top or Nitish Kumar Reddy from below. I think Sai Sudharsan should be allowed to play at No. 3. You haven't got Nitish Kumar Reddy to do his job properly thus far. So you can actually sacrifice him and keep Dhruv Jurel there," he added.Aakash Chopra pointed out that Dhruv Jurel can bat at No. 6, followed by Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and the three specialist bowlers. The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the Uttar Pradesh wicketkeeper-batter is making it almost impossible for the selectors, team management, and captain to drop him."If they are going to bowl Nitish Kumar Reddy just five or six overs, they might as well play Dhruv Jurel" - Varun AaronNitish Kumar Reddy bowled only four overs in the two Tests against the West Indies. [P/C: Getty]During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues,' former India pacer Varun Aaron noted that Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant being among the runs in India A's unofficial Test series against South Africa A causes a selection headache.He opined that Shubman Gill and company should play Jurel ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy if the all-rounder isn't going to be utilized much with the ball."Jurel and Pant scoring runs together, it's so many good headaches for this Indian setup, in the T20 setup, in the ODI setup, in the Test setup, but then again, if they are going to bowl Nitish Kumar Reddy just five or six overs, they might as well play Jurel," Aaron said.The analyst also reckoned that the two games against South Africa A would hold Pant in good stead for the Test series against the Proteas."Match practice is second to none when it comes to practice, because in a match, no matter what level of game you play, there is pressure. No matter how much you bat in the nets, there is always that difference between the match pressure and the net pressure. In a match, you just have one chance to get out. In the nets, you can get out so many times. I feel it's great that Rishabh Pant played a game," Aaron observed.Rishabh Pant scored a match-winning 90 in India A's second innings of the first unofficial Test against South Africa A. He smashed a 54-ball 65 in the second innings of the ongoing second game, with Dhruv Jurel scoring an unbeaten 175-ball 132 in the first innings and an unbeaten 170-ball 127 in the second innings.
