Saransh Jain is all over the social media feed right now. The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, who proved that age is just a number, finally earned his maiden India Test cap on Sunday, debuting in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
The 33-year-old received the honour from teammate Ravindra Jadeja before the start of play. This came after Kuldeep Yadav was ruled out due to an infection and Jain replaced him to make his debut.
The debut carries special significance. At 33 years and 145 days, Jain became India’s oldest Test debutant of the 21st century and the first Indian to make his international debut after turning 33 since Robin Singh in 1998.
Crazy fact about Saransh Jain which you probably didn’t know
Jain also joined a rare group of players: since the Indian Premier League began, Jain is only the third Indian to represent the national side before making his IPL debut, following Murali Vijay and Mohammed Shami.
A left-handed batter and right-arm off-spinner from Indore, Jain has built a strong domestic reputation over more than a decade. Recent performances, including solid returns in the Ranji Trophy and for India A in Sri Lankan conditions, helped secure his long-awaited opportunity.
Jadeja advised the newcomer to treat the occasion like any other first-class match and enjoy the moment without pressure. Jain later expressed gratitude to his family, particularly his father, for inspiring his cricket journey.
Meanwhile, India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first on what he described as a harder surface than the one in Galle. India already lead the two-match series 1-0 after a comprehensive victory in the opener.
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