The 33-year-old Madhya Pradesh all-rounder received his maiden Test cap from Jadeja and made his long-awaited debut against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo on Sunday. At 33 years and 145 days, Jain became India’s oldest Test debutant in the 21st century, surpassing Saba Karim, who made his debut aged 32 years and 362 days against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2000.
Jain’s selection is a reward for years of consistent performances on the domestic circuit. He has replaced Kuldeep Yadav, who misses the Test due to an infection.
An off-spinner who bats left-handed, Jain has made a name for himself with valuable contributions in both departments. He was added to India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series after Washington Sundar was ruled out with an injury.
Beyond the IPL Spotlight
Jain, however, believes his domestic performances had already put him in the frame for a national call-up.
‘My selection shows that the IPL alone is not the yardstick for making the cut. It is proof of the hard work I have put into domestic cricket. I would like to thank the selectors for showing faith in me,’ Jain told The Times of India after his call-up.
An off-spinner who bats left-handed, Jain has made a name for himself with valuable contributions in both departments. He was added to India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series after Washington Sundar was ruled out with an injury.
Jain, however, believes his domestic performances had already put him in the frame for a national call-up.
‘My selection shows that the IPL alone is not the yardstick for making the cut. It is proof of the hard work I have put into domestic cricket. I would like to thank the selectors for showing faith in me,’ Jain told The Times of India after his call-up.
Strong Recent Form
His performances for India A in Sri Lanka further strengthened his case. After a quiet outing in the first unofficial Test, Jain made a big impact in the second, taking six wickets and scoring an unbeaten 70.
He was also one of Madhya Pradesh’s standout performers in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, scoring 518 runs in seven matches at 57.55, including a century and three fifties. With the ball, he claimed 30 wickets at 20.43.
