Former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta believes that veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will have a vital role to play for the team in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, given his experience. The left-handed player was part of India’s previous tour of the subcontinent nation in 2017, where he made a huge impact in the 3-0 whitewash.
Now in the twilight of his career after retiring from T20Is and being slowly cast aside from the ODI setup, Ravindra Jadeja remains an integral part of the red-ball setup, especially in the subcontinent. The all-rounder did not feature in Team India’s most recent Test against Afghanistan, but had a landmark 2025 in the format, especially with the bat.
Ravindra Jadeja has a stellar Test record in Sri Lanka across the couple of appearances he has made. He has picked up 13 wickets at an average of 28.77, including a five-wicket haul. With the bat, he has scored 85 runs in two innings at an average of 85.00. For his unbeaten 70 and seven wickets in the second Test against Sri Lanka in 2017, he was adjudged the player of the match.
“If we talk about experience, it is the first Test series in Sri Lanka for many of the players, but Jadeja, he has played here before. Even on spin-friendly pitches, it is not as if you come in and just bowl and you will get wickets. Even there, you have to find the right speed, line, and length. So, he will know that because he has played there before. His experience playing in Sri Lanka and how he guides new bowlers will be important,” Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.
Ravindra Jadeja is one of the four spinners in the Indian squad on the tour, along with Kuldeep Yadav, Saransh Jain, and Manav Suthar, with Washington Sundar still nursing an injury. While Kuldeep Yadav has made one appearance in Sri Lanka, none of the other bowlers have featured in red-ball cricket in the country.
“Gautam himself was a good player of spin” – Deep Dasgupta backs Team India head coach to impart guidance to resolve batting crisis in SL vs IND 2026 Tests
Team India are leaving no stones unturned to rectify their declining Test cricket stocks. After a whitewash at home against South Africa struck a massive blow to their 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) aspirations, the team management have focused on preparation before Test matches.
The Shubman Gill-led squad and the support staff landed in Sri Lanka recently to begin their preparations for the tour, with a three-day warm-up match also scheduled for players to adapt to the conditions.
Deep Dasgupta noted that Gautam Gambhir can use this extended phase to help the batters deal with spin, considering that it has been a massive concern in recent times.
This is not a practice session before the series or a Test, this is camp practice, like a proper practice session. Gautam himself was a good player of spin. If you look at the last 10-15 years, or even this century, he has been one of the better players of spin. So, I think it is good that the players will get some time to spend with him. He will be able to tell about his experiences and techniques during this camp,” Dasgupta said.
The two subcontinent sides will kick-start the tour with the series opener at the Galle International Stadium from Saturday, August 15 onwards.
Edited by Gokul Nair
