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Mumbai: Having spent almost a quarter of a century in coaching since retiring from the game, former India and Mumbai wicketkeeper Chandrakant Pandit has a fair idea of what makes a player stand out from the rest.Having closely followed and backed 33-year-old Indore off-spinner Saransh Jain since taking charge as Madhya Pradesh head coach in 2020, Pandit was not surprised that the all-rounder emerged as the surprise pick and the only new face in India’s 15-member Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, announced on Tuesday.Jain earned his maiden Test call-up after years of consistent performances in domestic cricket.The off-spinner has quietly built one of the strongest red-ball records among India’s all-rounders, delivering season after season with both bat and ball without breaking into the senior side.“During our triumphant Ranji Trophy campaign in 2022 (it was a curtailed season due to Covid), I had to fight for Saransh’s inclusion in the side. To push for his case, I had to drop a senior spinner after our first match. But I was convinced that Saransh had the talent and skills to play for India one day. Today, I’m happy that our ‘ultimate goal’ has finally been achieved. All those sacrifices have borne fruit,” a naturally elated Pandit told TOI from Indore on Tuesday.Jain picked up 30 wickets in seven matches for MP at 20.43, including a five-wicket haul, in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. A few weeks ago, he impressed on the India A tour of Sri Lanka, claiming six wickets in two matches while scoring an unbeaten 70.Born in Indore, Jain made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh during the 2014-15 season and has since become one of the team’s most dependable performers. Across 54 first-class matches, the right-arm off-spinner has scored 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75 while claiming 188 wickets at 27.30, establishing himself as a genuine all-rounder.Pandit revealed that a key technical adjustment he suggested four years ago transformed Jain into a potent force.“During the 2022 Ranji Trophy, after our first match, I convinced him to bowl round the wicket. Initially, he was a bit hesitant. ‘I won’t get LBW decisions that way, Sir,’ he told me. ‘I agree, but if you bowl a particular line, your options will open. You will bring bowled, caught behind and caught in the slips dismissals into play,’ I replied.“I showed him a lot of videos explaining how it would help him bowl a better line. We made him bowl towards middle and off stump. He was convinced when he started getting batters out bowled, losing their off stump and edging to the slips. He also began getting bat-pad dismissals and more LBW decisions. It worked beautifully for him and he has now mastered it.“Today, most off-spinners in India are bowling round the wicket after seeing Saransh, who now does it from the very first ball, succeed that way. I also guided him in setting the right fields, which is crucial for an off-spinner to take wickets. He now has a very good understanding of field placements,” the veteran coach explained.Outlining Jain’s strengths, Pandit said, “If he gets a turning track, he will do very well. However, the line he bowls, the variations he has and the outgoing ball he bowls are all very good. He flights the ball well, so he can be effective on any pitch. Of course, we still have to see how he performs on batting-friendly tracks in international cricket.”“Bowling off-spin runs in Saransh’s blood. His father, Subodh Jain, was also an off-spinner for Madhya Pradesh. Subodh has coached him since childhood. A few years ago, Subodh retired from his State Bank of India job. He was afflicted by throat cancer. Saransh is also a good batter. He bats at No. 4 in local cricket in Indore. He gives his 100% with both bat and ball,” said Rajiv Risdodkar, a former BCCI panel umpire and current member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association’s managing committee.Pandit felt Jain deserved an India call-up much earlier.“Frankly, he should’ve got this opportunity a couple of years ago. It’s been delayed a bit. However, he has continued to perform at the same level despite not being picked earlier. He did well for India A and also had a strong domestic season last year,” Pandit asserted.Critics have pointed out that selecting a 33-year-old Jain in the Test squad sends the wrong signal, but Pandit disagrees.“Age shouldn’t be a criterion for selection. Only fitness and performance should matter. Wasim Jaffer was playing Ranji Trophy cricket for Vidarbha even after turning 40 and was performing exceptionally well. There were people doubting his selection because of his age, but I would point to his runs. Saransh is fit and a very good fielder.“In the last few years, Saransh has improved his batting too. He scores useful runs for MP. I told him that to get into the Indian team, he needed to score a few runs as well. That is why the other off-spinners had pipped him over the last few years,” Pandit said.In 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders called Jain for trials when Pandit was the franchise’s head coach. What happened next convinced him that the spinner was different from the rest.“Saransh came for the trials and was with us for almost a month. The idea was to take him on board as a net bowler for the IPL. However, after the trials concluded, Saransh told me that he wasn’t interested in becoming a net bowler for any IPL team.“‘If an IPL team picks me up directly, then that’s fine, but I don’t want to be a net bowler. I’ve refused 2-3 other teams as well,’ he said.“I was surprised because net bowlers get paid decently (Rs 10,000 a day) in the IPL, are provided five-star accommodation and top-class food just like the main squad players, and there’s always a chance to impress the franchises. I know many domestic bowlers who would do anything to become a net bowler in the IPL.“However, Saransh knew his worth and wasn’t desperate to play in the IPL. He was focused on becoming a good red-ball spinner. That left me impressed,” Pandit recalled.“He’s a sincere, hard-working boy who stays in regular touch with me. He wants to learn every day and implements whatever you tell him,” the MP head coach said.
