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On Tuesday, July 28, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced India's squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The selectors have retained most of the core group, while also handing a maiden Test call-up to Saransh Jain for the tour.
The announcement also brought updates on a few key players' availability. Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the first Test and was unavailable for selection, while Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan remain doubtful as their participation will depend on receiving fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) before the series begins.
India squad for Sri Lanka Test series announced
The selectors have named a 15-member squad for the two-match Test series, with Shubman Gill set to lead the side. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna continue to form the core of the squad, while Saransh Jain has earned his maiden Test call-up.
The squad also includes Dhruv Jurel as the reserve wicketkeeper, alongside Devdutt Padikkal, Manav Suthar and Gurnoor Brar, giving India additional batting and bowling depth for the Sri Lanka challenge.
India will play a four-day practice match in Colombo from August 7 before the Test series gets underway. The first Test will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19, while the second Test is scheduled at the SSC, Colombo, from August 23 to 27.
The BCCI also confirmed that Sai Sudharsan and Jasprit Bumrah will only be available subject to fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence, while Washington Sundar was not considered for selection for the opening Test due to his unavailability.
Meanwhile, recently Glenn McGrath advised Jasprit Bumrah to prioritize Test cricket over T20 Cricket.
India’s squad for Tests against Sri Lanka:
Shubman Gill [C], KL Rahul [VC], Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant [WK], Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain
Changes to India Test squad from Afghanistan Test
India have made three changes to the squad that featured in the one-off Test against Afghanistan earlier this year. The biggest boost is the return of Ravindra Jadeja, while Saransh Jain has earned his maiden Test call-up after impressive performances in domestic cricket and for India A. Jasprit Bumrah has also been included, although his availability will depend on receiving fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
On the other hand, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harsh Dubey have lost their places in the squad. Washington Sundar is unavailable for the opening Test after being ruled out due to injury, prompting the selectors to look at other spin-bowling options.
Changes at a glance
Players IN
Ravindra Jadeja
Saransh Jain
Jasprit Bumrah* (subject to fitness clearance)
Players OUT
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Washington Sundar (ruled out of first Test)
Harsh Dubey
Who are the major names that missed out on selection?
Two of the biggest talking points from the squad announcement were the absence of Auqib Nabi and Sarfaraz Khan.
Auqib Nabi had emerged as a strong contender after a brilliant domestic season and was rewarded with a maiden India A call-up for the recent multi-day tour of Sri Lanka. However, the selectors opted to retain an experienced pace attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar, leaving the Jammu & Kashmir all-rounder waiting for his senior Test debut.
Sarfaraz Khan also failed to make the cut despite remaining in contention over the past year. With Sai Sudharsan retaining his place and Devdutt Padikkal continuing as the reserve batting option, the selectors decided against adding another specialist middle-order batter.
Who is Saransh Jain?
Saransh Jain is a 33-year-old all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, who bats left-handed and bowls right-arm off-spin. After years of consistent performances in domestic cricket, he has finally earned his maiden call-up to India's Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
Jain has built an impressive first-class record, scoring 2,223 runs in 54 matches at an average of 31.75, including two centuries and 14 fifties. With the ball, he has been equally effective, claiming 188 wickets at an average of 27.30, with best figures of 6/75 and 10 five-wicket hauls.
His recent performances for India A in Sri Lanka further strengthened his case. During the unofficial Test series, he contributed with both bat and ball, including an unbeaten 70 and a match haul of 6 wickets in one game.
