Time seemingly paused as Dhruv Jurel batted on 99. With Mohammed Siraj for company, and an anxious Indian camp watching from the dressing room, Jurel took 13 deliveries to move to his coveted hundred while surviving a run out attempt too in the process. His knock deflated host Sri Lanka in the second Test.

Speaking to the media in Colombo on Monday (August 24, 2026) and recalling that nervous-nineties phase, Jurel said: “So actually, when I was on 99, before that I was getting runs, and on 99, he (Asitha Fernando) started bowling good lengths. When I played that shot (for the hundred), thought it was going past the fielder, that there was a gap, and then I was like oh God!”

On a stop-start day due to the rains, Jurel seemed at ease, and he explained: “I am used to it because I was here with India A and am aware of the situation, about the (rain) breaks. I was just trying to bat in partnerships and also assess the conditions. Even if I scored a 100 today, tomorrow I will go and start from zero, that’s how it is.”

When Sri Lanka turned up for the first innings, Jurel donned the wicket-keeping gloves. Clarifying that move, he said: “Right now, (Rishabh) Pant has a sore right shoulder. We are closely monitoring him. Today I kept wickets, hopefully he will be fit.”

Among the rivals, Jurel lauded Asitha: “It was so hot and he used the short ball. It’s not easy for a bowler, and he was really challenging, especially when I was on 99.” Stressing that playing red-ball cricket is important, Jurel said: “Playing Test cricket is a privilege. We want to play well both in white and in blue.”

Amid a prolonged wait for his maiden India Test call-up, Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi never lost faith, continuing to perform with the belief that his chance to represent the country would eventually arrive.

That opportunity finally came when Nabi was drafted into the Indian squad as a replacement for injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning in Galle on Saturday (August 15).

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Nabi, who played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s historic maiden Ranji Trophy title triumph last season, said he always believed that consistently putting in strong performances would eventually earn him a national call-up.

“Yes, I had expectations. But the mindset of a cricket player should be of performing and that the other people are watching,” Nabi told fellow uncapped player Saransh Jain in a video shared by the BCCI.

“I knew that I would get the call-up today or tomorrow because when you are doing well for so many years, you are meant to get the returns from the hard work.”

“So I would bowl with the mindset that my job is to take wickets and perform and the rest is up to the one above. I felt great when my name came up. My family is very happy and I don’t think there can be anything greater than this,” Nabi added.

Saransh, who was a member of the Ranji Trophy-winning Madhya Pradesh team in 2021-2022 which beat the mighty Mumbai in the final, said he too kept the belief that his chance would come.

“You have to have patience in Test cricket and if you want to play Test cricket for India, you have to have patience in that too,” the 33-year-old Saransh said.

“I made my debut at Ranji Trophy in 2014-15. It’s been a long journey. There was a lot of hard work and sacrifices. But I had the belief that one day, I will definitely play for India and for this achievement my family has a big role to play in it.”

“My dad, who is a Ranji Trophy player, told me the same thing. You just have to have patience, things will automatically come to you,” he added.

Both Nabi and Saransh also recalled the moments they learnt about their India call-ups.

“When I got the call, I was driving to the temple. I saw the call and messages in between. That’s when I got to know that I was selected,” Saransh said.

Nabi added, “I was at the airport. We had to go to a camp in CoE and I was about to board a flight to Bangalore.”

“I got a call asking where I was. I told them that I was going to Bangalore and I was at the airport. They told me that I didn’t have to go there; I had to come to Sri Lanka and that I was selected.”

“At first, I couldn’t believe it. It was unexpected because the squad was already out. I was ready to work hard. I was going to the camp,” Nabi added.

Saransh said the experience of playing with the Indian players in domestic cricket helped him to mix-up with the others well.

“When I joined the team, I didn’t feel any big difference as 70-80% of the players I have played cricket with, and I got mixed up quickly with them,” he said.

Their home Test run in recent past may not have been particularly impressive but India head coach Gautam Gambhir has asserted that his team will be ready with all the answers when the two-Test series against Sri Lanka gets underway from August 15.

In a short address to the team before a practice session here, Gambhir also welcomed the new entrants — spin-bowling all-rounder Saransh Jain and pacer Auqib Nabi.

“We know what’s in front of us, we know what we are playing for. We can do the volume, we can push our limits, we can tick all the boxes,” Gambhir said in the video shared by BCCI on social media.

“Come 15th morning (August 15), whether we are batting first, whether we are bowling first, we’re absolutely ready with every answer, every question that’s thrown at us, and every answer we are ready to give. So make sure we tick all the boxes from now on,” he added.

The first match of the series will be played in Galle from August 15 while the second game will be held here from August 23. It would be India’s first ICC World Test Championship assignment since the disastrous 0-2 home defeat to South Africa in December last year.

Saransh has been picked in the squad on the basis of his consistently fine run for Madhya Pradesh in the domestic circuit. Nabi is in to replace an injured Jasprit Bumrah. He played a stellar role in J&K’s maiden title-winning run in Ranji Trophy last season.

“We’ve got a couple of new guys in. To start with, Saransh, congratulations. You’ve worked extremely hard to be here,” Gambhir said welcoming the 33-year-old late bloomer.

“Make sure that you make your family and your country proud, whenever you get that opportunity.

“Secondly, I want to congratulate Auqib. You had a phenomenal last season, made J&K win the Ranji Trophy, which is a great achievement. Congratulations once again,” he added.

Premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka as he is yet to recover from his knee injury.

Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi is all set to earn his maiden call-up to the national team.

Nabi will be the third player after Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik to get a senior national call-up. Rasool and Malik were summoned in white ball set-up.

“Bumrah is not fit and Auqib Nabi has been approved as his replacement,” a BCCI source informed PTI.

Nabi has picked 100-plus wickets in the last two Ranji Trophy seasons and was the chief architect of J&K’s red-ball triumph. He is also a handy customer with the bat.

The swelling in Bumrah’s knee seems to be more serious than it initially looked and the Sports Science team at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence doesn’t want to rush the seasoned pacer to the grind of international cricket, keeping in mind a packed calendar ahead.

“The two people who run the COE, Dhananjay and Thulasi have decided that Bumrah can’t be risked. It must be said that initially both team management and selection committee were made to believe that Bumrah could be available for at least one of the two Tests,” a BCCI source informed, citing how COE’s functioning have left everyone baffled.

The Sri Lanka series begins on August 15 in Galle.

The 32-year-old had missed out on the third ODI against England at the Lord’s last month after sustaining an impact injury.

He recently reported at the Centre Of Excellence in Bengaluru and was expected to be match-fit by the time Sri Lanka series begins.

However, it has been learnt that Bumrah is still feeling some discomfort.

Even if he gets fit before August 15 or the second Test starting at Colombo on August 23, the medical team isn’t sure if a Test match is the correct format to bring him back due to the massive workload on the docile tracks.

It will be interesting to see if selectors pick Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi or Vidarbha’s Yash Thakur as Bumrah’s replacement.

India are already without Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, and Washington Sundar — all sidelined by hamstring niggles — will miss at least the first Test.

In case of B. Sai Sudharsan, he is batting 75 minutes in nets at COE as he is steadily recovering from a foot injury that he sustained during the recent India A series in the Island nation.

It will be known in the next few days whether he will be available or not for the series against Lanka.