Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes the Indian team should start looking beyond Ravindra Jadeja in Test cricket and prepare for life without the veteran all-rounder.

Jadeja, now 37, is no longer the clear first-choice spinner in the Indian Test team, according to Dasgupta. The former cricketer also felt that India’s recent two-Test tour of Sri Lanka showed that Jadeja is not having the same impact with the ball as he once did.

Jadeja finished the series with eight wickets from four innings. However, Dasgupta felt his biggest disappointment came during the final day of the second Test in Colombo.

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India started the day needing just four wickets to wrap up Sri Lanka’s second innings, with the hosts only 16 runs ahead. Instead, Sonal Dinusha’s century helped Sri Lanka’s lower order put up a strong fight.

Jadeja did pick up three wickets for 94 runs, but Sri Lanka eventually stretched their lead to 216 after India had enforced the follow-on.

Dasgupta felt that, apart from young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, India’s spinners did not look threatening enough during the series.

Dasgupta raises concerns over no-balls

India also struggled with no-ball problems during the Sri Lanka series, with the issue affecting the rhythm of the spin attack.

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Saransh Jain, who was playing his first Test in Colombo, bowled four no-balls during the match. Jadeja also overstepped once. Suthar, on the other hand, did not bowl a no-ball during the series.

Dasgupta believes such mistakes can often be linked to what happens during practice sessions and said bowlers need to be more careful in the nets.

With India needing to prepare for the next generation of spinners, Dasgupta believes Washington Sundar could be the player to take over Jadeja’s role as the spin-bowling all-rounder.

He also feels Suthar could become India’s main left-arm spinner going forward.

Jadeja, meanwhile, remains one of India’s most successful Test all-rounders. During the Sri Lanka series, he became only the fourth player in Test history to complete the landmark double of 4,000 runs and 350 wickets.