Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain said years of hard work in domestic cricket finally paid off after he earned his maiden India Test call-up for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka. The 33-year-old believes age has never been a barrier and said he was always confident that he would one day represent India in Test cricket.
When did Saransh get to know about the India call-up?
Recalling the moment he found out about his selection, Jain said it came as a complete surprise while he was driving to a temple.
Saransh on debate around his age
Jain has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket since making his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2014-15 season with a five-wicket haul against Tamil Nadu. Despite waiting for years, he said he never doubted that his opportunity would eventually come.
How did Saransh's family help him?
The off-spinner also spoke about the sacrifices made by his family throughout his cricket journey. He said their constant support helped him stay focused even during difficult phases.
Looking back at how his cricket journey began, Jain credited his father and elder brother for introducing him to the game at a young age. He said playing Ranji Trophy cricket and making an immediate impact gave him confidence that he could reach the highest level.
“In the beginning, I used to go to the club with my dad and elder brother. My brother played with a leather ball, but I was very young, so I just went along to play with a tennis ball and hang around. As I grew older, I started playing with the leather ball and played at all the age-group levels.
“In 2014-15, I made my Ranji debut and took a five-wicket haul in my very first game against Tamil Nadu, a side which featured senior players like Dinesh Karthik. That made me realise cricket isn’t as difficult if you put in hard work and are disciplined. From then on, I knew if I wanted to play at a higher level, I had to focus on things which I can control. I kept doing that, and today I’m here representing India.
“Ever since my age-group days, my main weapon has been consistency, to be able to hit the same spot repeatedly because the batsman will eventually take a risk to score. I’m not overthinking how the pitches will behave in Sri Lanka or how many wickets I’ll get; I just want to stick to my basics,” he added.
Saransh revealed how he looked up to Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin
Jain also revealed that he has always looked up to former India off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin. He said a recent interaction with Harbhajan during a week-long camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru left a strong impression on him.
“I started playing cricket because of my father, who is a former Ranji player himself. I play cricket for him, and he is my ultimate idol. As for bowling, Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin are my idols. While I haven’t spoken to them extensively, I’ve learned a massive amount just by watching their bowling clips.
“During the one-week camp at the Centre of Excellence, I learned a lot from Harbhajan Singh. Skill-wise, they told me I didn’t need major tweaks since I already have plenty of match experience.
“But one piece of advice from him really stuck with me, ‘You don’t have to lose something to gain something. You have to put in the work.’ That stayed with me, and whenever I push myself through hard work, those words resonate deeply,” he concluded.
India’s squad for Tests against Sri Lanka
Shubman Gill [C], KL Rahul [VC], Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant [WK], Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain