Saransh Jain: Rewarded for a decade of relentless toil in domestic cricket, Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain said age is merely a number and that he never lost faith in his ability to earn a maiden India Test call-up, which he got by being included in the squad for the upcoming two-game tour of Sri Lanka.
"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, 'It's out! I'll 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's 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,” Jain said to JioStar.
Having steadily climbed the ranks through age-group cricket before making his Ranji Trophy debut in 2014/15 with a five-wicket haul against Tamil Nadu, Jain always held onto the belief that his time would come.
"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 doesn't 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'd make it.”
Acknowledging the immense sacrifices made by his family to keep his dream alive, Jain revealed that their unwavering support carried him through difficult times. "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'm playing for India today. My dream was always to play Test cricket for India; right from the start, I've loved red-ball cricket. Now that the dream has come true, I'm extremely happy."
Speaking about his journey of picking cricket, Jain recalled, "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.
“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 isn't 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'm not overthinking how the pitches will behave in Sri Lanka or how many wickets I'll get; I just want to stick to my basics," he added.
Attributing his bowling inspiration to former India off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin, Jain revealed how a crucial piece of advice from the former during a camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru this year left a lasting impact on him.
"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 haven't spoken to them extensively, I've learned a massive amount just by watching their bowling clips.
Attributing his bowling inspiration to former India off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin, Jain revealed how a crucial piece of advice from the former during a camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru this year left a lasting impact on him.
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“But one piece of advice from him really stuck with me, 'You don't 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 concluded.