'He Will Definitely Play' - R Ashwin predicts India's XI vs Sri Lanka, includes surprise pick

India have announced their squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The first Test will commence on August 15 at the Galle International Stadium and the second Test will be held from August 23 in Colombo.

The squad includes Saransh Jain, who received his maiden India call-up. The off-spin-bowling all-rounder is a like-for-like replacement for the injured Washington Sundar. 

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin predicted the XI that Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir could pick for the first Test. He picked a spin-heavy line-up, including Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Saransh Jain, and the returning Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin backed Jain to bat at No. 7. He believes that the Men in Blue could go in with only two fast bowlers.

"Jadeja will definitely play. Manav Suthar took seven wickets in the last game - he'll play. And Kuldeep Yadav should also play. That makes three spinners. I think they should go with Saransh Jain at No. 7, which leaves - No. 5 Rishabh Pant, No. 4 Shubman Gill, No. 3 Devdutt Padikkal or Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul. That leaves two fast-bowler spots," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan have been named in the side but they will only be available after receiving clearance from the Centre of Excellence, based on how they recover from their respective injury concerns. Sudharsan was in red-hot form in India A's tour of Sri Lanka, where he scored a ton in Galle. Ashwin believes that if the southpaw doesn't recover in time and misses the Test, India might rue it.

"First, I think India's biggest loss here could be Sai Sudharsan's fitness because he scored two centuries recently in the India 'A' series - one of them was at Galle, which has unique conditions. The wind, how the ball turns, the angles - it takes time to learn all that. But he made a hundred there. If he stays fit, it could be an advantage for India. His confidence will be high. And Sri Lanka always depend on spin - Sai Sudharsan is a good player of spin. So he could be useful. I hope he's fit, and it shouldn't be a setback," the 39-year-old said.

"Devdutt Padikkal getting a chance in his place is not a bad thing. He has been a brilliant performer in domestic cricket. But I'd prefer Sudharsan to take his form into Test cricket," he concluded.