Mullanpur, June 8:
For the first time in 15 years, India fielded a home Test XI without either Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja, leaving a sizeable void in the spin department. However, debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar ensured there was little reason for concern with an impressive display against Afghanistan on the second day of the one-off Test here on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Rajasthan spinner emerged as the standout bowler of the day, returning figures of 3 for 21 from 15.5 overs as Afghanistan slumped to 113 for 5 at stumps in reply to India’s massive 564 for 8 declared.
Having earned his maiden Test cap after an excellent domestic record that includes 129 wickets from 29 first-class matches, Suthar looked completely at ease on the international stage.
More importantly, he displayed the qualities that have made him one of India’s most promising young spinners.
Operating with remarkable accuracy, Suthar consistently targeted the good-length area and extracted appreciable turn from a surface that otherwise appeared slow and placid.
His control was exemplary as he conceded runs at an economy rate of just 1.32 while maintaining relentless pressure on the Afghanistan batters.
Introduced shortly before the tea interval, the left-armer made an immediate impact by dismissing opener Abdul Malik. Generating sharp turn with the relatively new ball, Suthar induced a top-edged sweep from the batter to claim his maiden Test wicket.
Apart from a slog-swept six by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, scoring opportunities against the youngster were few and far between. Bowling unchanged for a lengthy spell across the tea break, Suthar repeatedly troubled the batters with drift, turn and bounce.
His second wicket came when Gurbaz edged a sharply turning delivery to second slip, while his third arrived with the final ball of the day as Afsar Zazai offered a simple return catch after being deceived by another probing delivery.
India all-rounder Washington Sundar was full of praise for the debutant’s skill set, particularly his ability to impart significant revolutions on the ball.
“He has got great skillsets as a spinner. His biggest strength is the amount of spin and revs he can generate. He has consistently performed in red-ball cricket over the last few years and gives everything into every delivery he bowls,” Washington said.
Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus also acknowledged the young spinner’s effectiveness.
“I thought Suthar bowled really nicely today. He held his length well and was very consistent. His consistency allowed India to build sustained pressure from one end,” Pybus observed.
Suthar himself credited his success to sticking to a simple plan.
“The wicket was offering assistance and my strength is getting the ball to turn. My aim was to extract as much turn as possible while consistently bowling in good areas because that was where the help was coming from,” he said.
While it remains only his first day in Test cricket, Suthar’s performance provided a glimpse of India’s spin-bowling future.
At a time when questions were being asked about how the team would cope without two of its greatest modern-day spinners, the young left-armer responded with control, turn and wicket-taking ability.The three wickets were significant, but it was the manner in which they came that caught the eye, suggesting India may already have another promising spin option waiting in the wings.