Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain is in contention to make his India debut in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The 33-year-old off-spinner could replace Kuldeep Yadav, who struggled to make an impact during the series opener at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Team India will enter the Colombo Test with a 1-0 series lead after beating Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle. The first Test also exposed a shortage of specialist off-spin options, with Devdutt Padikkal bowling an over and Yashasvi Jaiswal working on his spin bowling during the match preparations.
Saransh Jain in Line to Make India Debut in Colombo
Saransh Jain could make his India debut in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. According to India Today, the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder is set to feature in the next match and could replace Kuldeep Yadav after the wrist-spinner's struggles in Galle.
During the second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A, he took six wickets across two innings, including 4/92, and scored an unbeaten 70 off 140 balls. India A won the match by 10 wickets.
During the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, the 33-year-old scored 518 runs at an average of 57.55 and took 30 wickets at 20.43 in seven matches.
Saransh Jain has played 54 first-class matches, scoring 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75, with two centuries and 14 fifties. He has also taken 188 wickets, including 10 five-wicket hauls, with best figures of 6/75.
Kuldeep Yadav Struggles Despite Ideal Conditions in Galle
Kuldeep Yadav struggled to make an impact in conditions that were expected to suit him. The left-arm wrist-spinner finished the Test with match figures of 1/103 from 25 overs, India’s most expensive bowler across both innings.
Kuldeep was also the only frontline Indian bowler who failed to bowl a maiden over. His only wicket came in the first innings when he dismissed Kamindu Mendis, although Shubman Gill did most of the work with a brilliant diving catch.
Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar showed much better control and accuracy on the same surface. Kuldeep conceded at 4.60 in the first innings and 3.50 in the second, while the other spinners bowled around 22 overs per innings.
Saransh Jain's Journey to the India Test Squad
Born in Indore on March 31, 1993, Saransh Jain made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in the 2014-15 season. He developed his cricket at Vijay Club alongside Rajat Patidar, while his father, Subodh Jain, also represented Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.
Jain became a key part of Madhya Pradesh's title-winning 2021-22 Ranji Trophy campaign. He took 13 wickets across the knockout stages and scored 57 in the final against Mumbai. The following season, he scored 360 runs and claimed 35 wickets to win the Lala Amarnath Award for the best all-rounder.
He earned an India A call-up for the 2024 series against England Lions, where he scored half-centuries in both innings. He then impressed in the 2025 Duleep Trophy, taking 16 wickets in two matches and scoring half-centuries in the semifinal and final to win the Player of the Series award.
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