Now Reading: Saransh Jain earns maiden India Test call-up for Sri Lanka series
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Saransh Jain earns maiden India Test call-up for Sri Lanka series
Off-spinner Saransh Jain has earned his maiden call-up to India's Test squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka starting August 15. The 33-year-old, who plays for Madhya Pradesh, replaces Washington Sundar,…
The Story in Brief
Off-spinner Saransh Jain has earned his maiden call-up to India's Test squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka starting August 15. The 33-year-old, who plays for Madhya Pradesh, replaces Washington Sundar, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained during the ODI series against England. Saransh has taken 188 wickets in 54 first-class matches.
The squad also sees the return of Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, and Jasprit Bumrah, subject to fitness after a knee injury. Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has predicted that Saransh will not get a game in the series, drawing parallels with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was picked for two previous tours but never played.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that Indian cricket picks players only to bench them is at play again. Chopra is fair to point out Abhimanyu Easwaran's repeated snub, but Saransh Jain's case is not identical, he is the fourth spinner, not a specialist bat waiting in the wings. The real test is not the selectors' intent but team balance for the conditions at Galle and Colombo. If India play three spinners, will the selectors drop Manav Suthar, who took seven wickets on debut, to give Saransh a chance?
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
