Bahutule backs Kuldeep for second Test at SSC, says Saransh Jain remains in contention

India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said at the SSC Ground in Colombo on August 21, 2026, that Kuldeep Yadav remained part of India's plans for the second Test against Sri Lanka and that Saransh Jain would be considered for selection.

Bahutule, who recalled his last Test at the same venue in 2001 when India lost, spent Friday in the nets before speaking to media near the dugout; many of the questions he faced concerned Kuldeep's recent form and role in the team.

On Kuldeep, Bahutule defended the wrist-spinner's contribution: “Kuldeep has been bowling extremely well. It’s just that due to the situation that arose in Galle, he had to play a different role. He tried his best to execute that role,” Bahutule said.

Explaining the technical adjustments required, Bahutule said: “We had to see how the trajectory and the speeds work in every session. As the days went by, there was a demand for different types of speeds and trajectories; he definitely was making an effort to bowl that.”

Turning to Manav Suthar, Bahutule outlined the youngster’s domestic pedigree and reliability, saying: “He is somebody who has bowled a lot in domestic cricket and has done the hard yards. He understands his bowling well. What we try to do is to see how that awareness of bowling gets better in different conditions, on different pitches, and against different batters. He is very accurate, and his trajectories are getting better. He puts in a lot on the ball, the revolutions are good and he is somebody who is like a banker for us.”

On preparation and adaptation across formats and conditions, Bahutule stressed the value of early arrival and practice on tour: “It’s very difficult for a player sometimes to adjust to different formats. But I think what we did coming early on this tour was — in that warm-up game and in the open net sessions — we trained well and got to understand the conditions and could adapt to them. The amount of cricket being played is quite a bit, but our job as coaches is to manage their minds and help them adapt,” he said.

Addressing selection choices against a Sri Lankan side that has added left-handed batters, Bahutule confirmed Saransh Jain remained under consideration and that final decisions would follow a pitch inspection: “There is another day to go before the Test. We will have a look at the pitch and understand what will be the need. Yes, the (left-handed) additions are there in their team. We will definitely consider him (Saransh Jain) once the pitch is completely ready to play,” he said.

On Kuldeep's broader role in the side, Bahutule reiterated his faith while noting surface behaviour: “He has been a fabulous bowler over the years. Yes, the pitches sometimes are slow, and sometimes the ball operates differently for the spinners on certain surfaces. But for me, he has always been a match winner, and he definitely is in the scheme of things. When the ball becomes softer, it becomes even more difficult for a wrist-spinner like him.”