Former India player Mohammad Kaif said that 33-year-old Saransh Jain is way ahead of Manav Suthar in the order and he could make his debut in the opening Test against Sri Lanka as well. The match will start on Saturday, August 15, at the Galle International Stadium.

Speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Mohammad Kaif), he said: “We have Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, and one of Saransh Jain and Manav Suthar is likely to play. You would also want an off-spinner there because Sri Lanka have quite a few left-handed batters in the middle order. So, you would have one left-arm spinner, one left-arm wrist-spinner and one off-spinner, meaning you are covering all the different angles. That’s why I feel he (Saransh Jain) is slightly ahead in this match.”

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“Of course, he is new and could make his debut, but Suthar isn’t a very experienced player either. He is also relatively new and has only recently come into the team. So, in terms of balance, I see Saransh Jain playing this match. That gives you three spinners and two fast bowlers,” he again shared.

However, Mohammad Kaif further opined on Saransh Jain’s ability to contribute with the bat and said that India do not necessarily need two left-arm spinners, giving him an edge over Manav Suthar as well.

“He can also contribute with the bat. If you look at his first-class batting record, it is excellent. He knows how to bat, and he also performed well in the warm-up game. If I am talking about covering all areas, you don’t necessarily need two left-arm spinners. You can give the ball to Jadeja and he can bowl long spells. But if we are talking about variety, I feel he is slightly ahead,” Mohammad Kaif concluded.