New Delhi: On March 27 this year, Saransh Jain posted pictures and videos on Instagram, thanking the former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for the valuable lessons I learned during a five-day camp at the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.In the caption, Saransh quoted a line Harbhajan Singh told him that touched him the most. It reads: “Kuch paane ke liye kuch khona nahi, kuch karna padta hai (To get something, you don’t have to lose something, you have to do something). ” Saransh also wrote: “These are not just words. They were very sensitive and stay with me.”Now, months later, the 33-year-old has earned his first India call-up.“He is a very humble man who knows exactly what to do. I wish him the best as this is a special moment for him, his family and all those who have supported him,” Harbhajan told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.Saransh, who has played extensive First Class cricket and has been a regular for Madhya Pradesh, has impressed the selectors with his consistency during domestic duty and was recently rewarded with an India A call-up. In his outing for India A against Sri Lanka A, Saransh took seven wickets in the two unofficial Tests. In the second match, he claimed six wickets and scored an unbeaten 70 in the first innings, paving the way for India’s 10-wicket win.
Saransh Jain picked for India vs Sri Lanka test match.
“He has worked incredibly hard and spent many years in domestic cricket, which in many ways is tougher than people realise. Bowling long spells of 40 or 50 overs through a match teaches you a lot. The more you bowl, the more you learn,” says Harbhajan, praising Saransh’s domestic grind.Washington Sundar’s injury opened the door for Saransh. With Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav in the team, Saransh is the fourth spinner, but the lone off-spinner. If he goes on to make his debut, Saransh will become the first Indian player to debut after the age of 33 since Robin Singh in 1998.“At 33, he is still young for a spinner, but now he has the experience of bowling to some of the best spin players in domestic cricket. I am grateful that I got a chance to spend four or five days with him,” says Harbhajan, backing Saransh to do well.
Saransh Jain has very good acting and keeps things simple. Don’t try too many fancy variations. He has a lot of experience, excellent seam position and tremendous control
Harbhajan Singh
Over the years, Saransh’s flight, diving and high arm action have proven difficult for the boats to pick. These are exactly the attributes that caught Harbhajan Singh’s attention during the specialist off-spinners camp at the CoE.“The first thing I noticed was his action. He has a very good action and keeps things simple. Don’t try too many fancy variations. He has a lot of experience, excellent seam position and tremendous control. These qualities make a big difference,” says Harbhajan.“Experience teaches you to trust your strengths and to bowl the right line and length consistently. What impressed me the most is his attitude. His mind is always to take wickets. Today, many bowlers are focused only to pass their overs instead of thinking about dismissing batters. A bowler’s primary job has always been to take wickets, not just score runs,” added Harbhajan, who took 417 wickets in 103 Tests for India.
Harbhajan Singh and Saransh Jain (Instagram)
The two-time World Cup winner also shared the conversation he had with the off-spinners during the camp.“In that camp, I told the boys that we, as spinners, often convince ourselves too quickly that nothing is happening on the field. But the wicket is not going to change. It is up to us to adapt to the conditions, whether the surface is spinning, flat, slow or bouncy. Every bowler has to learn to succeed in the wicket in front of him. Experience is the greatest teacher. I can guide you, but unless you experience these situations, you won’t really learn,” he says.“If the pitch doesn’t offer much assistance, you have to find other ways to create opportunities. You may need to change your field, stay patient and bowl consistently in one area.
As a bowler, you must dictate how the batsman plays, not allow the batsman to dictate terms. When you hit your champions, you know you’re in control. The biggest difference I see today is that many bowlers don’t have the same hunger for wickets. Saransh has that instinct
Harbhajan Singh
“As a bowler, you should dictate how the batsman plays, not allow the batsman to dictate terms. When you hit your champions, you know you’re in control. The biggest difference I see today is that many bowlers don’t have the same hunger for wickets. Saransh has that instinct,” he adds.Saransh is a late bloomer. Although I did his Ranji Trophy debuted in 2014, it was not until 2022 that he really announced himself on the domestic scene. After featuring in just eight first-class matches in his first eight years, the off-spinner played a crucial role in Madhya Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy triumph, picking up 13 wickets. Since then, he has only grown in stature.
Who is going to go?
In the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, I amassed 518 runs at an average of 57.55 and took 30 wickets at 20.43. This followed a stellar Duleep Trophy campaign for Central Zone, where he scored two half-centuries and claimed 16 wickets in just two matches to be named Player of the Series, leading Central Zone to their first title in 11 years.Whether he gets a chance to make his India debut or not, Harbhajan Singh believes Saransh has the right skills to succeed at the international level.“He is not a batsman who can bowl off-spin. He is an off-spinner who is hungry to take wickets and knows how to put a price on his wicket with the bat in his hands,” says Harbhajan.