IND vs SL Test: Injury woes hit India as Washington Sundar doubtful, Jasprit Bumrah under watch; Saransh Jain in line for maiden call-up

India's selectors are facing a major selection dilemma ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, with all-rounder Washington Sundar unlikely to regain full fitness before the opening Test in Galle. His expected absence has opened up the race for the reserve spinner's spot in the squad. The Indian team for the Sri Lanka Test series will be announced on Tuesday, with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee dealing with multiple injury concerns affecting the national side.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the final ODI against England at Lord's due to an impact injury, is also expected to undergo a fitness assessment before the squad is finalized. According to fitness updates from the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are currently unavailable for selection in the red-ball series. Both players are recovering from hamstring injuries and continue to undergo rehabilitation.

“Washington will only be fit by the second Test, and it is there to be seen if selectors pick him for one game subject to fitness. Else, they will have to look for a fourth option beyond Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav. If they pick Harsh Dubey, it will be three bowlers with identical skill sets,” a BCCI source privy to selection matters told news agency PTI on conditions of anonymity.

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Will Saransh Jain get maiden India call-up?

With Sundar likely to miss the first Test, off-spinner Saransh Jain has emerged as a leading candidate for a maiden India call-up. Besides his bowling, Jain offers valuable depth with the bat in the lower order. He impressed during the India A tour of Sri Lanka, claiming six wickets in two matches while also scoring an unbeaten 70. His all-round abilities could appeal to head coach Gautam Gambhir, who prefers batting depth extending to no. 8.

Other options under consideration include wrist spinners Zeeshan Ansari and Vipraj Nigam. However, selectors reportedly believe Nigam's strengths are better suited to white-ball cricket. The Delhi Capitals spinner is known for his quick leg breaks and powerful batting, attributes that have stood out in the IPL. If Bumrah is ruled out, India's pace attack is expected to feature Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna.

Meanwhile, Akash Deep remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a stress fracture. The fast bowler has only recently resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation process. “Akash is bowling around 12-15 balls a day as per instructions. He is still some time away from attaining his full fitness,” the source added. The first Test between India and Sri Lanka will be played in Galle from August 15, while the second Test is scheduled to begin on August 23 in Colombo.

Hardik Pandya set for white-ball return

In positive news for India, senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya has regained full fitness and is expected to return for India's white-ball assignments from August after completing the mandatory Return to Play protocols by the end of July. Pandya had initially been expected to feature in the ODI series against Afghanistan in June after recovering from a quadriceps strain.

“Hardik is ready to play both forms of white ball cricket. He is expected to get a fitness certificate by the end of this month. If India’s proposed white ball tour of Bangladesh happens, Hardik can be expected to be picked. He has been training two sessions at the COE. The morning is for fitness work and the evening is purely skill-based (batting and bowling),” the source added.