Mumbai: Having spent almost a quarter of a century in coaching since retiring from the game, the former India and Mumbai keeper Chandrakant Pandit you have a good idea of what makes a player stand out from the rest.After closely following and supporting the 33-year-old Indore off-spinner Saransh Jain Since taking charge as Madhya Pradesh coach in 2020, Pandit was not surprised that the all-rounder emerged as the surprise pick and the only new face in India’s 15-member Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, announced on Tuesday.Jain earned his first Test call-up after years of consistent performances in domestic cricket.The off-spinner has quietly built one of the strongest red-ball records among India’s all-rounders, delivering season after season with flawless batting and bowling in the senior side.“During our triumphant Ranji Trophy campaign in 2022 (it was a shortened season due to Covid), I had to fight for the inclusion of Saransh in the side. To push his case, I had to drop a senior spinner after our first match. But he was confident that Saransh had the talent and skills to play for India one day. Today, I am happy that our “ultimate goal” has finally been achieved. All these sacrifices have borne fruit,” a naturally elated Pandit told TOI from Indore on Tuesday.Jain took 30 wickets in seven matches for MP at 20.43, including a five-wicket haul, in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. A few weeks ago, I impressed on the India A tour of Sri Lanka, claiming six wickets in two matches while scoring an unbeaten 70.Born in Indore, Jain made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh during the 2014-15 season and has since become one of the team’s most reliable players. Across 54 first-class matches, the right-arm off-spinner scored 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75 while claiming 188 wickets at 27.30, establishing himself as a genuine all-rounder.Pandit revealed that a key technical adjustment he suggested four years ago turned Jain into a potent force.“During the Ranji Trophy 2022, after our first match, I convinced him to bowl around the wicket. Initially, he was a little hesitant. “I don’t make LBW decisions that way, Sir,” he told me. “I agree, but if you bowl a particular line, your options will open up. You can bring bowled, caught behind the games.“I showed him a lot of videos explaining how to help him hit a better line. We made him bowl towards the middle and off stump. He was convinced when he started bowling, losing his stump and going to the slips. He also started getting bat-pad dismissals and more LBW decisions. It worked well for him and now he has mastered it.“Today, most off-spinners in India are bowling around the wicket after seeing Saransh, who is now doing it from the first ball, succeed like that. I also guided him to set the right fields, which is crucial for an off-spinner to take wickets. Now he has a very good understanding of the placements on the field,” explained the veteran coach.Outlining Jain’s strengths, Pandit said, “If he gets a turn track, he will do very well. However, the line he bowls, the variations he has and the output ball he bowls are all very good. He flies the ball well, so he can be effective on any pitch. Of course, we still have to see how he performs on batting friendly tracks in international cricket.”“Off-spin bowling runs in Saransh’s blood. His father, Subodh Jain, was also an off-spinner for Madhya Pradesh. Subodh trained him from childhood. A few years ago, Subodh retired from his job at the State Bank of India. He was suffering from throat cancer. Saransh is also a good batsman. He gives his 100% with bat and ball,” said Rajiv Risdodkar, a former BCCI panel umpire and current member of the management committee of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.Pandit felt that Jain deserved a call to India much earlier.“Frankly, he should have had this opportunity a couple of years ago. It was delayed a bit. However, he continued to perform at the same level even though he was not selected earlier. He did well for India A and also had a strong domestic season last year,” Pandit said.Critics have pointed out that the selection of a 33-year-old Jain in the Test team sends the wrong signal, but Pandit disagrees.“Age should not be a criterion for selection. Only fitness and performance should be important. Wasim Jaffer was playing Ranji Trophy cricket for Vidarbha even after turning 40 and doing exceptionally well. There were people who doubted his selection because of his age, but I pointed out his runs. Saransh is in form and a very good field.“In recent years, Saransh has improved his batting as well. He is scoring useful tools for MP. I told him that to get into the Indian team, he needs to score a few more runs. That is why other off-spinners had been pipping him over the last few years,” said Pandit.In 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders called Jain for trials when Pandit was the coach of the franchise. What happened next convinced him that the spinner was different from the rest.“Saransh came for the trials and was with us for almost a month. The idea was to take him on board as a net bowler for the IPL. However, after the trials concluded, Saransh told me that he was not interested in becoming a net bowler for any IPL team.“”If an IPL team takes me directly, then that’s fine, but I don’t want to be a net bowler. I also rejected 2-3 other teams,” he said.“I am surprised because net bowlers are paid decently (Rs 10,000 a day) in the IPL, are provided with five-star accommodation and first-class food like the main team players, and there is always a chance to impress the franchises. I know many domestic bowlers who would do anything to become a net bowler in the IPL.“However, Saransh knew his worth and was not desperate to play in the IPL. He was focused on becoming a good red-ball spinner. That left me impressed,” Pandit recalled.“He is a sincere and hard-working boy who remains in regular contact with me. He wants to learn every day and implements everything you tell him,” said coach MP.