Wickets, family guidance, perseverance: Saransh Jain, Aquib Nabi reflect on Team India call-ups

Galle, August 13

India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in two crucial World Test Championship (WTC) matches, with the first one starting at Galle from August 15. Saransh Jain, a spin-bowling all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, received his maiden Test call-up for the series, while Aquib, a Jammu and Kashmir pace sensation, was called into the squad as a replacement for pace superstar Jasprit Bumrah.

Speaking in a video by BCCI, Saransh revealed that he was driving towards a temple when he got to know of his Team India selection. After over a decade of playing domestic cricket since his Ranji Trophy debut in 2014-15, it did not take him so long to adjust, as he had played cricket with the majority of the players in the set-up.

"I got to know on my phone that I was selected when I was driving to a temple. I did not feel much difference (about the atmosphere of the Ranji Trophy and international cricket) when I joined. I have played cricket with 70 to 80 per cent of these players. I mixed up with the players really early," said Saransh.

Saransh also expressed that in Test cricket, "patience is the key" and playing the longer format for India requires more of that. He also recalled his father Subodh, a former Ranji Trophy player for MP in the 1980s, adviced him to stay patient and things will come to him automatically.

"I made my debut in Ranji Trophy back in 2014-15, it has been long journey with a lot of hard work and sacrifices. One day I would play for India, I had that feeling. My family has had a big role to play in it. My dad, a Ranji player himself, told me that keep patient; things will come to you automatically," he added.

In 54 first-class matches, Saransh has scored 2,223 runs in 85 innings at an average of 31.75, with two centuries and 14 fifties. He has also taken 188 wickets at an average of 27.30, with 10 four-fers and five-fors, with best figures of 6/75.

On the other side, Aquib said that he was at an airport, boarding a flight to Bengaluru to go for a BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), but he was instead asked to come to Sri Lanka.

"I was at the airport and we had to go to a camp at the CoE. I was about to board a flight to Bangalore, but I was told I was going to Sri Lanka. I could not believe it. It was unexpected, as the squad was already out. I was like, I was going to work harder. The atmosphere here was great. Sharing the nets and dressing room with the players I saw on TV is a big deal for me," he said.

Aquib, who played a massive role in J-K's maiden Ranji triumph this year, emerged as the leading wicket-taker with 60 wickets at an average of 12.56, with best figures of 7/24, including two four-fers and seven five-wicket hauls.

After all these fantastic performances, the pacer admitted that he did have expectations of an Indian call-up, but he kept his focus on performance and taking wickets, having confidence that he would don the Indian colours someday.

"I had expectations, but you should also have that cricketer's mindset that you have to keep working hard, and others will watch you. I knew that someday I will come to the Indian team. I was doing so well for years and felt I would get the fruits of it. I would bowl with that mindset, to get wickets. My family is happy; nothing could be bigger than this for me," he signed off.

The series will form part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Led by Shubman Gill, India are currently fifth in the World Test Championship standings, having registered four wins and four losses in nine matches, with a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.

India's squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka is: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.

— ANI