"I was certain I'd make it": All-rounder Saransh Jain on Indian team call-up for Sri Lanka tour

Saransh was drafted into the squad after spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar was ruled out of the first Test with a hamstring injury.

Saransh Jain, a 33-year-old all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, is a left-handed batter and off-spinner. He has amassed 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75 and claimed 188 wickets at 27.30 in 54 first-class matches. While he has also played 67 List A and T20 games, red-ball cricket remains his strongest format.

Speaking on JioStar, Saransh revealed that he got to know of his selection when he was headed towards a temple and was driving his car. Getting selected in Team India was a "fantastic feeling" for the domestic veteran and a "culmination of 26 years of hard work and discipline."

"I was heading towards the temple and was driving. That's when I checked my phone and saw around 10 to 12 missed calls and messages. One of my friends who plays cricket called me and congratulated me. I asked, 'For what? He said, 'Hey, the announcement...' I was surprised and replied, 'Does the official team announcement even happen this early in the morning? '" he said.

"He said, 'It is out! I will send it to you.' I pulled my car over to the side, checked my phone, and yes, it was official. It was a fantastic feeling. It is the culmination of 26 years of hard work and discipline. When I got home, everyone was so emotional: my father, elder brother, wife, mom, everyone," he added.

Saransh also said that his playing for India was a "shared dream" for his family, built on years of sacrifices and working hard in a cricket-crazy country where millions of people reside, and a lot of them grow up having dreams of wearing the national cap. He credited his family for the fulfilment of his Team India dream.

"It was a shared dream for all of us, built on family sacrifices. It isn't easy to make it into the 15-member Indian squad among millions of people, so family support is vital. There were times when family issues happened where I could have broken down, but my family stood by me, managed everything, and stayed together. Because of them, I am playing for India today. My dream was always to play Test cricket for India; right from the start, I have loved red-ball cricket. Now that the dream has come true, I am extremely happy," he said.

On being selected at the age of 33, he said, "Age is definitely just a number, so 33 is just a number because of the fielding standards these days, which are so high that your age does not show on the field. I knew, if I hadn't made it into the Indian team today, I would have played in the next year or two, but I was certain I would make it."

Reflecting on his journey as a cricketer during his early days, he recalled going to the club with his father and elder brother and playing tennis ball cricket to start off with, eventually shifting to leather ball cricket and playing at all age-group levels.

Eventually, he made his debut in the 2014-15 season at senior level and from there, he focused on controlling the controllables and being consistent. Ahead of the Sri Lankan challenge, there is no overthinking about anything on his part, and he is just focusing on the basics.

"In the beginning, I used to go to the club with my dad and elder brother. My brother played with a leather ball, but I was very young, so I just went along to play with a tennis ball and hang around. As I grew older, I started playing with the leather ball and played at all the age-group levels," recalled Saransh.

"In 2014-15, I made my Ranji debut and took a five-wicket haul in my very first game against Tamil Nadu, a side which featured senior players like Dinesh Karthik. That made me realise cricket is not as difficult if you put in hard work and are disciplined. From then on, I knew if I wanted to play at a higher level, I had to focus on things which I can control. I kept doing that, and today I'm here representing India. Ever since my age-group days, my main weapon has been consistency, to be able to hit the same spot repeatedly because the batsman will eventually take a risk to score. I am not overthinking how the pitches will behave in Sri Lanka or how many wickets I will get; I just want to stick to my basics," he added.

Saransh said that he started playing cricket because of his father, who was also a former Ranji cricketer, and that spin legends Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh are their idols.

He recalled watching their bowling clips to learn the art of spin and how he got to spend some time with the latter during a camp.

"I started playing cricket because of my father, who is a former Ranji player himself. I play cricket for him, and he is my ultimate idol. As for bowling, Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin are my idols. While I have not spoken to them extensively, I've learned a massive amount just by watching their bowling clips. During the one-week camp at the Centre of Excellence, I learned a lot from Harbhajan Singh," he said.

"Skill-wise, they told me I did not need major tweaks since I already have plenty of match experience. But one piece of advice from him really stuck with me: "You do not have to lose something to gain something. You have to put in the work.' That stayed with me, and whenever I push myself through hard work, those words resonate deeply," he signed off. (ANI)