Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain made his international debut during the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, played from August 23 to 27, 2026. The right-arm off-spinner was drafted into India’s squad as a replacement for Kuldeep Yadav, who was recovering from a viral infection. India entered the Colombo Test with a 1-0 lead after securing a comprehensive 165-run victory in the opening match at Galle.

With a series win in sight, India handed Jain an opportunity to make his international debut and strengthen the spin department in conditions expected to assist slow bowlers. However, the second Test ultimately ended in a draw. After India secured a substantial 213-run first-innings lead and enforced the follow-on, Sri Lanka battled hard in their second innings to reach 429/9. Sonal Dinusha produced a crucial innings that helped the hosts survive and deny India a series whitewash.

Jain finished his debut Test with three wickets but conceded 167 runs. Although the Colombo surface offered considerable assistance to spinners, the debutant struggled to consistently trouble Sri Lanka’s batters.

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Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Jain’s lack of variation was one of the reasons he failed to make a bigger impact. While acknowledging that making an international debut can bring additional pressure, Gavaskar felt the off-spinner relied too heavily on the pitch rather than creating problems through his bowling. “The debutant off-spinner looked an honest trier with little variety to trouble batters at this level,” Gavaskar told Mid-day.

Gavaskar also pointed out that Jain’s bowling appeared predictable, particularly as the pitch became slower as the Test progressed. He felt India’s inability to dismiss Sri Lanka’s lower order despite having a turning surface was a concern.

The former India captain further suggested that the absence of Kuldeep Yadav was a significant factor. According to Sunil Gavaskar, a quality wrist-spinner can be particularly effective against lower-order batters on a surface offering turn and bounce. “Kuldeep Yadav’s absence also did not help, as a good wrist-spinner can get the lower-order batters out in a jiffy most of the time,” Gavaskar said.

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Sunil Gavaskar also highlighted India’s pace-bowling concerns on the slower Colombo surface. With fast bowlers struggling to generate sufficient bounce, he suggested that the additional pace and height of Gurnoor Brar could potentially have offered India another option.

Despite the criticism, Jain’s debut remains an important milestone in his career. The youngster will now look to build on the experience and add greater variety to his bowling as he aims to establish himself at the highest level.