Saransh likely to debut in 2nd Test, veteran bowler could be dropped

Saransh Jain is reportedly in line to make his Test debut when India take on Sri Lanka in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, beginning Sunday, August 23. The 33-year-old Madhya Pradesh all-rounder is said to be under serious consideration for the playing XI, with left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav likely to be the one to make way.

India arrive in Colombo having won the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs, a match that concluded on Wednesday, August 19. Manav Suthar was the standout bowler across both innings, finishing with a match haul of 10 wickets. Despite that emphatic result, reports suggest the team management is weighing a change to the spin combination for the second match.

Kuldeep’s figures of 25-0-103-1 across the Galle Test appear to have placed his position under scrutiny. No official playing XI has been announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India ahead of the Colombo fixture. However, as per an India Today report, the wrist spinner could make way for Jain.

Why is Saransh Jain being considered for the Colombo Test?

Jain, a right-arm off-spinner who also bats left-handed in the lower-middle order, was added to India’s squad for this series as a replacement for Washington Sundar, who suffered a hamstring injury during the ODI series against England and was ruled out of the Tests.

His performances on Sri Lankan soil ahead of this tour strengthened his case considerably. During India A’s visit to Sri Lanka, Jain scored an unbeaten 70 and claimed six wickets in the second four-day match, showing he could handle both the conditions and the workload at this level.

Jain made his first-class debut on December 21, 2014 for Madhya Pradesh and has accumulated a substantial record across more than a decade of domestic cricket. He has scored 2,223 runs and taken 188 first-class wickets in 54 matches. Cricket is part of his upbringing: his father Subodh Jain was an off-break bowler who featured for Madhya Pradesh across nine Ranji Trophy appearances. Should he take the field in Colombo, Jain would be among the older players to receive a first Test cap for India.

Also Read: ‘I take Test cricket very seriously’ – Manav Suthar after Galle heroics

Any inclusion of Jain in the Colombo XI remains subject to the Gautam Gambhir-led team management’s final call. The BCCI has issued no official confirmation, and the reported change to the spin combination is based on reports alone rather than an announced selection.

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