A test match between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo on August 23. New discussions regarding the Indian team's squad have begun ahead of the second match of the series.
The Indian team, which won the first match in Galle by 165 runs, may make changes to its spin department. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is considering replacing Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav with off-spinner Saransh Jain, who has not yet played at the international level.
Former Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara also shared his opinion on the squad composition. He believes such a change would be incorrect, and Kuldeep should be given another chance. Although Kuldeep's performance in Galle did not meet expectations—he conceded 103 runs in 25 overs across two innings and took only one wicket—his personal play became a subject of discussion before the second match.
In an interview with Cricinfo, Cheteshwar Pujara stated that, in his view, India should field a similar lineup to the previous one, but he heard that Kuldeep might be replaced by Saransh because Sri Lanka has many left-handed batters. Pujara opposed this potential change, expressing confidence in Kuldeep's potential.
He emphasized: 'If that happens, I will be disappointed because a player of Kuldeep's caliber should be given another chance. He is a quality bowler. In Test cricket, you don't make too many changes. You don't change a winning combination. I believe Kuldeep should remain in the squad.'
Kuldeep bowled few overs in the first match
In the first match, Kuldeep participated as India's third spin option. Captain Shubman Gill utilized more Ravindra Jadeja and left-arm spinner Manav Sutara. Both these spinners bowled almost twice as many overs as Kuldeep. The underutilization of Kuldeep raised the question of whether the team management values finger spin over wrist spin under current conditions. Nevertheless, Indian spin coach Sairaj Batule explained this due to strategic reasons. According to him, the pitch in Galle favored finger spinners more, so the bowling distribution was adjusted accordingly.
Saransh Jain, who is 33 years old, is an off-spinner and has never played for India. His name emerged as an option for the second match squad due to the presence of several left-handed batters in the Sri Lankan order. The matchup of an off-spinner against left-handed batters could interest the team management.