NEW DELHI: Saransh Jain’s long wait for India recognition ended on Sunday when the 33-year-old allrounder made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in the second match of the series.Jain was presented his India cap by veteran allrounder Ravindra Jadeja during the team’s huddle, marking the culmination of a domestic career that has stretched over a decade.His debut also makes Jain the first India player to make his international debut after turning 33 since Robin Singh in 1998.India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bat first, backing his team to make the most of the conditions.“Batting first, yes. It looks like a much harder wicket than Galle. The pitch got slower and started to turn, but this will be a good wicket to bat on,” Gill said.2nd Test – Playing XIs
- India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
- Sri Lanka XI: Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando
Who is Saransh Jain?
Born in Madhya Pradesh, Jain is a left-handed batter and right-arm offspinner whose strongest credentials have come in red-ball cricket.In 54 first-class matches, he has scored 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75 and taken 188 wickets at 27.30. He has also played 67 List A and 20 T20 matches, but it was his consistency in the longer format that eventually pushed him into India’s reckoning.Jain is the son of former first-class cricketer Subodh Jain and has spent much of his career away from the spotlight.He made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2014 but emerged as a significant domestic performer only in 2022. Having played just eight first-class matches until then, Jain starred in the Ranji Trophy knockouts for Madhya Pradesh, taking 13 wickets and scoring a half-century as the team won its maiden title.
Late bloomer earns India call-up
The latest Ranji Trophy season was arguably Jain’s best yet. He scored 518 runs at an impressive average of 57.55 and claimed 30 wickets at 20.43.That came after an outstanding Duleep Trophy campaign for Central Zone, where Jain scored two half-centuries and took 16 wickets across two matches to earn Player of the Series honours.His performances eventually brought him closer to the India setup. Last month, Jain was among the net bowlers preparing India’s batters ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh.Now, after years of domestic cricket and a breakthrough in his early 30s, Jain has finally received his opportunity at the highest level — making his India debut at an age when most players are already well into their international careers.
