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New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain earned his maiden call-up in India’s Test squad for their upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, July 28. The 33-year-old has been selected in the squad as a replacement for Washington Sundar, who is out of the first Test due to an injury.

A consistent performer for Madhya Pradesh in red-ball cricket, Jain has managed to earn his maiden India call-up after toiling for years in the domestic circuit. He is an off-spinner and bats left-handed in the lower middle order. While he is primarily a spin bowler, Jain can be a more than handy batter.

He has been selected in India’s Test squad after recently being part of the India A squad on their tour of Sri Lanka. He featured in India A’s two unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A, where he picked up seven wickets combined and scored an unbeaten 70 in the second unofficial Test.

Jain, who made his senior debut for Madhya Pradesh in 2014, has established his credentials as a consistent performer in all three departments. While he is known to contain batters with his spin, he is a useful lower-middle-order batter and a good fielder.

It has taken him a long grind to earn his spot in the national team, and his family’s backing has been one of the major reasons behind his success. His family hid his father’s cancer diagnosis from him in 2014 to ensure he could focus on his cricketing career.

Jain recalled the incident in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo. He revealed he was on a tour to Australia, representing a club from Madhya Pradesh in 2014, when his father was diagnosed with cancer. However, his family only told him about the diagnosis and his father’s surgery after he returned home from the tour.

“I am fine now, son. If you just play better, I will get well sooner,” read a note that Jain’s father gave him upon his return home.

The all-rounder was one of the best performers for Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy last season. He scored 518 runs in 7 matches at an average of over 57, including a century and a half-century in the 2025-26 season to finish as the highest run-getter for Madhya Pradesh.

Jain also picked up 20 wickets in the season and was the second-highest wicket-taker for his team behind spinner Kumar Kartikeya, who picked up 35 wickets in the season. Overall, he has 188 wickets and 2223 runs to his name in 54 matches in first-class cricket in his career so far.

He has two centuries and 14 fifties to his name in first-class cricket. In List A cricket, he has scored 553 runs and picked up 38 wickets in 47 matches in his career so far.