IND vs SL: Ravichandran Ashwin names India playing XI for the first test
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on July 28. 33-year-old Saransh Jain has received a maiden call-up for this series; he has been included as cover for Washington Sundar, who will miss the upcoming series due to injury. Senior players Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have also returned to the squad, although Bumrah's availability will largely depend on his fitness. Former spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin has now outlined his preferred playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin on August 15 in Galle. He included Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar, and Kuldeep Yadav in the lineup, noting that their presence would be advantageous given the spin-friendly conditions. He acknowledged that Team India's batting order would likely remain similar to the one fielded against Afghanistan.
"Jadeja will definitely play. Manav Suthar took seven wickets in the last game, so, he'll play. And Kuldeep Yadav should also play. That makes three spinners. I think they should go with Saransh Jain at No. 7, which leaves - No. 5 Rishabh Pant, No. 4 Shubman Gill, No. 3 Devdutt Padikkal or Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul.” Ashwin said.
However, he mentioned that if Sai Sudharsan is not fit, Devdutt Padikkal could bat at number three. Ashwin further suggested that the team management should consider trying out Saransh Jain at number 7 and recommended including two fast bowlers.
"First, I think India's biggest loss here could be Sai Sudharsan's fitness because he scored two centuries recently in the India 'A' series - one of them was at Galle, which has unique conditions. The wind, how the ball turns, the angles - it takes time to learn all that. But he made a hundred there. If he stays fit, it could be an advantage for India. His confidence will be high. And Sri Lanka always depend on spin - Sai Sudharsan is a good player of spin. So he could be useful. I hope he's fit, and it shouldn't be a setback," he said.
"Devdutt Padikkal getting a chance in his place is not a bad thing. He has been a brilliant performer in domestic cricket. But I'd prefer Sudharsan to take his form into Test cricket."
However, Ravichandran Ashwin noted that it would be acceptable if Jasprit Bumrah did not play against Sri Lanka; he emphasised that Bumrah is crucial for next year's World Cup, making the management of his workload essential.
India squad for Sri Lanka tour
Shubman Gill ©, KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain
