The writing on the wall for the Afghanistan Test was clear – the selection of either Manav Suthar or Harsh Dubey as Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar’s support act was a quiet audition for the future.
As Gautam Gambhir kept the suspense alive over India’s next Test cap, Suthar edged ahead in that unseen race, walking out with cap No. 319 and, perhaps, one foot already on the flight to Sri Lanka.
And what more could a debutant ask for? A wicket in the first over, and Suthar announced himself on the international stage. He claimed his first wicket with a straight delivery that bounced a touch extra, which Afghanistan opener Abdul Malik looked to sweep. The ball lobbed into the air and was safely taken by Siraj.
Against Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Suthar was craftier. After a few straight deliveries that were defended, he slipped in one from the same spot that dipped late and turned away, taking the edge to second slip where Sai Sudharsan completed the catch.
Suthar has been playing for Rajasthan for the past three to four years. He came through the Under-23 setup, where he was teammates with Rajasthan batter Mahipal Lomror. The pair also shared the dressing room for two Ranji Trophy seasons.
And after sending down 22 overs, Suthar had made quite an announcement of his arrival with a six-fer on debut.
The 23-year-old is known for making an impact in his very first over. He did the same for India, which made his Rajasthan coach Anshu Jain confident that the youngster will take a five-wicket haul on debut.
“From what I understand, if he gets a good start, he will run through them and take a five-wicket haul,” Jain told News18 Cricketnext over a phone call. “His biggest plus point is getting a wicket in his very first over. From how much I have observed him so far, if he gets a good start, he really breaks the match wide open.”
With a classical action and an old-school diagonal run-up, cutting between the umpire and the stumps while bowling to right-handers, Suthar was a delight to watch. At a time when spin bowling is often used as a defensive option in the era of T20 leagues, Suthar brought a refreshing approach by sticking to the basics — flight and turn.
“His action is completely like a traditional left-arm spinner, what people call ‘old school,’ copy-book style. And when the ball leaves his hand, it has excellent revolutions. The ball spins a lot. So, the quality skillset required for spin, he has it,” Jain said.
“Just like [Bishan Singh] Bedi Saab, or Murali Kartik. If I may say so. He bowls traditional bowling like Murali Kartik used to do in our time,” he added.
He has a high release point and relies on imparting plenty of revolutions on the ball. This allows him to keep the ball in the air a fraction longer, get some drift, and then turn it away from right-hand batters.
Suthar’s action is repeatable, enabling him to land the ball in the same area and still produce different results. On Sunday, the Afghan batters struggled against his variations. Some deliveries turned sharply, some went straight with extra bounce, forcing batters onto the back foot, while others were classic arm balls, which Jain calls ‘deadly’.
“He has a very good arm ball. I mean, if he gets a pitch that offers even a little bit of assistance, he becomes deadly. Then it’s incredibly difficult to play him. Right, like once he gets that first wicket, the floodgates open up for more wickets,” the Rajasthan coach said.
But Suthar’s most lethal weapon, according to Jain, is his stock ball. The coach believes Suthar’s stock delivery spins sharply, even more than what Axar Patel generates.
“Nowadays, if we talk about quality spinners, someone like Axar Patel doesn’t spin the ball that much. Now, I am not denying or taking anything away from his greatness, but the way Manav’s ball rotates, the revolutions, the way it spins, that gives him an extra edge,” Jain said.
The left-arm spinner went on to justify that faith, finishing with a six-wicket haul on debut and underlining why he is regarded as one of India’s most promising young spinners.
“I think he is ready. Honestly, both of them are ready. I have seen Manav single-handedly win at least 10 to 12 matches for the state team. He has all the variations that a left-arm spinner should have,” he added.
Before troubling the Afghans with the ball, Suthar also chipped in with the bat down the order. He struck two sixes and as many boundaries to score 28 off 41, making a notable contribution to India’s 564/8. Suthar, who also has a first-class hundred to his name, showed that while he may have debuted for India as a specialist spinner, he can contribute with the bat too.
“He definitely has quality. He scored his first First-Class hundred this year. Even before that, I think he got out for 97 or 98 against Pondicherry last season. He is highly capable, meaning he can contribute well with the bat too.”
“So, looking ahead, I feel we could see Manav and Harsh Dubey as future replacements for Jadeja and Axar Patel,” Jain concluded.
