India spin legend R Ashwin has heaped praise on Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain, who received his maiden Test call-up on Tuesday. The 33-year-old Saransh was named as a replacement for the injured Washington Sundar as India unveiled their 15-man squad for their two-Test tour to Sri Lanka, starting August 15.
Saransh’s call-up presents a rare case in Indian cricket, with the Indore-born spinner becoming only the third man after Murali Vijay and Mohammad Shami to be named in the national squad without an IPL contract. Ashwin lauded Saransh’s call-up and heaped praise on his skill sets.
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“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 his YouTube channel.
Ashwin added that he was unclear about Sundar’s role in the Test side, insisting that the team management must decide what is his primary position is in the longest format.
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India have named four spinners in the Test side, with veteran Ravindra Jadeja returning to the fold alongside Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar and Jain.
