Former Indian player Saba Karim hailed the team management for replacing veteran spinner Kuldeep Yadav with debutant Saransh Jain for the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo. Kuldeep had a poor outing in the first Test at Galle, picking up only one wicket across the two innings, while conceding 103 runs as well. However, he was also unavailable for selection, as per the BCCI, due to viral illness. As a result, 33-year-old Saransh Jain made his international debut, following stunning domestic performances.
Citing the importance of a genuine Test off-spinner in Asian conditions, Saba Karim saidon the Sony Sports Network: “It was a brave move but a much-needed one because the time has come for India to invest in genuine wicket-taking and attacking spinners. One such investment is already working well with Manav Suthar. This is a good move, as to win a match on the subcontinent, you need a genuine left-arm spinner and an off-spinner. Without Ashwin, who’s that off-spinner for India? They tried Washington Sundar, but I believe this is the right way forward to give Saransh Jain an opportunity.”
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Saba Karim also believes the trio of KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill must be frustrated at throwing away wickets despite having an excellent start on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
“All three of Rahul, Jaiswal and Gill missed out on a big score after settling in on a good wicket. Rahul showed he was clearly in great form in his 18 but still got out after getting settled. These three batters must be upset after today. After becoming the captain, Gill has an excellent conversion rate of 75% to a century once he gets to 50. It was only 41 before he became captain. It shows that Gill’s primary focus is on his batting since becoming the captain. He had a great opportunity for a big score after getting to 50, which he missed out on. He was batting with such clarity that he’ll be massively upset to get out,” Saba Karim concluded.
