Former Indian spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his happiness after Saransh Jain was given his maiden Test call up for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Jain had recently impressed with both bat and ball in a red-ball game against Sri Lanka A while playing at Galle International Cricket Stadium, Galle, which is the venue for the first Test between the two teams.
The left-handed batter scored a crucial knock of 70 runs while batting at number seven in the second game against the hosts and he also scalped six wickets across two innings.
Jain has featured in 54 first-class matches, taking 188 wickets at an average of 27.3 with his offspin. The southpaw has also amassed 2223 runs at an average of 31.75, scoring 14 half-centuries and two hundreds.
Ashwin praised the left-hander for his consistent performances in the domestic circuit.
“I am very happy for him. I have seen him. I think very highly of him. He bowls wide off the crease. He attacks. He is a different type of off-spinner. His job is to take wickets. He has done a very commendable job. I hope he gets a chance. Manav will play. Jadeja and Kuldeep will play, so he might have to sit out too. But I really hope because he has it in him to perform,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Jain replaced injured Washington Sundar for the Sri Lanka Tests. Ashwin added that the team management should define Sundar’s role in the Test team.
“Sundar’s performance has been good. But again, in Test cricket, I want to ask Sundar’s role definition. He is a very good batter, I agree. More than handy spinner. But India has to decide and communicate to Sundar what is his first role. Is he a top six batter or is he one of my top 4 bowlers? He is a match-winning bowler. He has to bat in the top six. If I am there, I am going to tell him to bat in the top six. It is important to define his role. If India loses, the question will come whether he is a batter or a bowler. He gets criticised, but I would question how he has been used,” he explained.
On the other hand, Ashwin has urged the team management to back Kuldeep Yadav in the Test series against Sri Lanka.
“People are saying Kuldeep Yadav has signed a contract with Yorkshire County. I know how it feels. He has not played cricket. In many ways, it is him telling its okay, I just want to play. That’s why he went. I hope that stint serves him well. I think he should play in Sri Lanka,” he said.
India squad for Sri Lanka Tests: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain
