Age is just a number: Saransh Jain relishes first India Test call-up at 33
Saransh Jain said he never stopped believing in his dream of playing Test cricket for India after the 33-year-old earned his first national call-up for the two-match series against Sri Lanka.
The Madhya Pradesh off-spin all-rounder was included in the squad after Washington Sundar was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Jain’s selection comes after several seasons of consistent performances in domestic cricket and for India A. The two-Test series in Sri Lanka begins on August 15.
In an interview with JioStar, Jain said that age has never affected his confidence.
“Age is definitely just a number. 33 is just a number these days because of the fielding standards, which are so high that your age doesn’t show on the field. I knew if I didn’t make the Indian team today, I would be playing for the next year or two, but I was confident I could do it.”
Jain’s last domestic campaign explained his value as an all-rounder. He was named player of the tournament while representing Central Zone after scoring 136 runs and 16 wickets during their winning campaign.
He produced one of the most outstanding performances of the season in the Duleep Trophy final. Jain scored a first innings century and claimed eight wickets as Central Zone beat South Zone by six wickets.
The left-hander has built up an impressive first-class record over the years. In 54 matches, he scored 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75, including two centuries, and 188 wickets at 27.30.
Jain said his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2014-15 season convinced him he could compete at the highest level.
“I made my Ranji debut in 2014-15 and took five wickets in my very first match against Tamil Nadu, a team that had senior players like Dinesh Karthik.
“That made me realize that cricket is not that hard if you work hard and are disciplined. From then on, I knew that if I wanted to play at a higher level, I had to focus on the things I could control.”
“I continued to do it and today I am here representing India.
Spinner said consistency has always been key to his success. “Since my age groups, my main weapon has been consistency, being able to hit the same spot repeatedly because the batsman will eventually take a risk and score.
“I don’t think about how the pitches will behave in Sri Lanka or how many wickets I will get; I just want to stick to my basics.”
Jain also revealed how former India spinner Harbhajan Singh’s advice left a lasting impression on him during the week-long camp at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.
“During the week-long camp at the Center of Excellence, I learned a lot from Harbhajan Singh. Skill-wise, they told me that I don’t need much tweaking as I already have a lot of match experience.
“But one of his pieces of advice really stuck with me: ‘You don’t have to lose something to gain something. You have to work for it.’ That stayed with me and whenever I push myself through hard work, those words resonate deeply.”
While Jain grew up admiring Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan, he said his biggest inspiration has always been his father Subodh Jain, the former Madhya Pradesh off-spinner.
“I started playing cricket because of my father… I play cricket for him and he is my ultimate idol.
Jain also credited his family for standing by him during the highs and lows of his career.
“It’s not easy to make it into the 15-man Indian squad among millions of people, so family support is essential.
“There were times when family problems happened, when I could have broken down, but my family stood by me, managed everything and stayed together. It is because of them that I am playing for India today.
“It has always been my dream to play Test cricket for India;
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
30 Jul 2026 21:21 IST