India vs Sri Lanka: Saransh Jain calls maiden Test call-up at 33 a ‘dream come true’

Saransh Jain said he never stopped believing in his dream of playing Test cricket for India after the 33-year-old earned his maiden national call-up for the two-match series against Sri Lanka.

The Madhya Pradesh off-spin allrounder was included in the squad after Washington Sundar was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Jain’s selection comes after several seasons of consistent performances in domestic cricket and for India A. The two-Test series in Sri Lanka begins on August 15.

Speaking to JioStar, Jain said age had never affected his confidence.

“Age is definitely just a number. 33 is just a number because of the fielding standards these days, which are so high that your age doesn’t show on the field. I knew, if I hadn’t made it into the Indian team today, I would have played in the next year or two, but I was certain I’d make it.”

Jain’s latest domestic campaign explained his value as an allrounder. He was named Player of the Tournament while representing Central Zone after scoring 136 runs and taking 16 wickets during their title-winning campaign.

He produced one of the standout performances of the season in the Duleep Trophy final. Jain scored a first-innings century and claimed eight wickets as Central Zone defeated South Zone by six wickets.

The left-hander has built an impressive first-class record over the years. In 54 matches, he has scored 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75, including two centuries, while taking 188 wickets at 27.30.

Jain said his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2014-15 season convinced him that he could compete at the highest level.

“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.”

The off-spinner said consistency has always been the foundation of his success. “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.”

Jain also revealed how former India spinner Harbhajan Singh’s advice left a lasting impression on him during a week-long camp at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

“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.”

While Jain grew up admiring Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan, he said his greatest inspiration has always been his father, Subodh Jain, a former Madhya Pradesh off-spinner.

“I started playing cricket because of my father… I play cricket for him, and he is my ultimate idol.”

Jain also credited his family for standing by him through the highs and lows of his career.

“It isn’t easy to make it into the 15-member Indian squad among millions of people, so family support is vital.

“There were times when family issues happened where I could have broken down, but my family stood by me, managed everything, and stayed together. Because of them, I’m playing for India today.

“My dream was always to play Test cricket for India; right from the

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