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Manav Suthar could not have asked for a better start to his international career. The young left-arm spinner grabbed his opportunity with both hands as he delivered an incredible performance on his debut to help India beat Afghanistan by one innings and 300 runs in the one-off Test at Mullanpur.
On his debut game, Suthar looked completely fearless as the spinner scalped seven wickets across the innings and played a huge role in India’s dominant win over Afghanistan in the one-off Test. Manav Suthar achieved major milestone in Test cricket.
The most impressive thing was that the surface was not that helpful for spinners, but Suthar still managed to extract enough turn and trouble the batters with his accuracy and smart bowling.
Graeme Swann predicts bright future for Manav Suthar
After his Player of the Match performance, former England spinner Graeme Swann was really impressed with Manav Suthar’s strong performance on his Test debut and believes that the youngster has the potential to become India’s next long-term left-arm spinner.
Graeme Swann said on Star Sports” “The instinct of coming in and bowling so well—he doesn’t bat as well as Jadeja, maybe, but he can bat, and he has got a first-class hundred; it starts to throw up these really interesting selection issues, and he is definitely one for the future.”
The former England spinner feels Suthar has shown qualities that are rarely seen in a player playing his debut match in Test cricket. He pointed out that the youngster never looked under pressure and handled the occasion with remarkable confidence.
Graeme Swann backs Manav Suthar as Ravindra Jadeja’s successor
He also noted that when Ravindran Jadeja retires from Test cricket, Suthar will be the permanent member of the playing XI. However, Jadeja was behind Suthar’s India debut delay.
Swann added, “When Ravindra Jadeja decides that it’s time, he just walks into the team as the left-arm spinner. Just like Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the one-day game, you think, should he be in on merit anyway, because that performance was one of a world-class spinner? It wasn’t just a guy playing his first Test. Just trust me on that; he is born to play Test cricket.”
After his memorable spell against Afghanistan, Suthar had said, “It was a very unreal feeling. It has been my dream from the very beginning to play for India and to play Test cricket. So, it was an incredible moment for me and honestly felt quite unreal.”
Suthar reveals the secret behind his memorable debut
The spinner Manav Suthar revealed that his main focus at the start was to understand how the wicket was behaving. He trusted his basic delivery and concentrated on bowling in the right areas consistently, but once he adjusted, the spinner started using his variations and making his stock ball his winner.
Suthar also highlighted the importance of patience in Test cricket. He further added, “It’s a format that demands a lot of patience. That’s what I’ve learned—keep being patient, stick to your plans, and keep hitting the right areas consistently.”
After the one-off Test, India and Afghanistan will face each other in the three-match ODI series, starting on June 13 in Dharamshala, followed by the other two games on June 17 and 20.
