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Former Indian cricket Sunil Gavaskar and former England spinner Graeme Swann lauded young spin all-rounder Manav Suthar on a promising start to his international debut against Afghanistan, with the former saying that he has the attributes to be a "strong contender at Test level going forward".
Suthar, who got his debut cap for India in the one-off Test against Afghanistan, left everyone awestruck with his line and length, taking three wickets in a tidy 3/21 in 15.5 overs and scoring a quick-fire 28 in a partnership with Washington Sundar that took India past 500 runs. Speaking on JioStar 'Cricket Live', JioStar expert Gavaskar said not only his bowling, but Manav's confidence with the bat stood out, as he used his feet well and showed comfort at the crease. "Manav Suthar has certainly made an impressive start to his Test career. What stood out was not just his bowling, but also the confidence he showed with the bat, particularly in the way he used his feet and looked comfortable at the crease. With the ball, he was extremely accurate and consistently put the batters under pressure," he said. While Gavaskar hailed how Manav used the assistance on the surface, he cautioned that the "real test" for him will be on flatter pitches, where one will have to show much better variety and adaptability. "Having said that, this was a highly encouraging debut, and he has shown the attributes to be a strong contender at the Test level going forward," he signed off. On the other hand, JioStar expert Graeme Swann said that Manav looked "completely in control" right from ball one. "Manav Suthar's performance was remarkable because from the very first ball of his Test career, he looked completely in control. For any debutant spinner, nerves are inevitable, but he immediately found the right areas, generated excellent revolutions on the ball, and extracted both dip and turn," said the English spin great. He also pointed out that the all-rounder's adaptability with progression of his spell left him impressed, switching from attacking the off-stump line to making his line straighter. "What impressed me most was his ability to adapt as his spell progressed. Initially, he was attacking around the off-stump line, but he quickly recognised the amount of turn available and adjusted his line straighter, forcing the batters to play more often. His control of length throughout the spell was outstanding, and that tactical adjustment played a key role in creating wicket-taking opportunities. Beyond the wickets, it was the awareness, composure, and consistency he displayed that stood out. For a debut performance, it was an exceptional exhibition of spin bowling," he said. Before this match, Rajasthan all-rounder Suthar had taken 129 wickets in 29 first-class matches at an average of 25.76, with best figures of 8/33, including six five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls. He had scored 945 runs in 48 innings at an average of 25.54, with a century and six fifties and a best score of 120. This year for the Gujarat Titans (GT), he took two wickets in four matches at an average of 34.00. Coming to the match, India opted to bat first and knocks from skipper Shubman Gill (126 in 177 balls, with 15 fours and a six), KL Rahul (100 in 165 balls, with 11 fours), Sai Sudharsan (81 in 104 balls, with 13 fours) and Washington Sundar (52* in 68 balls, with five fours and a six) taking India to 564/8 declared, with Mohammad Saleem Safi (6/140) being the pick of the bowlers. In their first innings, Afghanistan ended the day two at 113/5, with Suthar (3/21) and Prasidh Krishna (2/27) being among the wickets. Rahmat Shah (43*) stays unbeaten for the visitors. (ANI)
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