India’s Washington Sundar in action during the second day of the India- Afghanistan Test at the New Chandigarh Stadium on June 7, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
Washington Sundar is no stranger to promising debuts. In his first Test, against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane in 2021, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder contributed a nerveless 62 in the first innings as India pulled off a storied series triumph.
On Sunday, Manav Suthar, although not against an opponent of the same calibre, made a striking impression in his maiden outing. The left-arm spinner took just four balls to take his first wicket, and ended the day with three wickets to leave Afghanistan reeling at 113 for five. Blessed with a high-arm action and a languid approach to the crease, Manav imparts a lot of revolutions on the ball to extract appreciable turn.
Washington, who is also Manav’s teammate at Gujarat Titans in the IPL, is thoroughly impressed with the 23-year-old.
“He has been brilliant. Those who have played with him in the last few years know what he could bring to the table, especially in this format. It was a genuine treat to watch. For him to bring out his best skills, especially at this level for India, is amazing. You can expect a lot more from him in terms of him winning a lot of games for India,” Washington said in praise of the debutant.
When Washington was pressed on the virtues of the left-armer that impress him, he elaborated: “He is a genuine spinner in terms of how much he can actually spin the ball and how many revs he can put on the ball. That has always been his strength. He uses a lot of his body and gives all his energy on the ball every single delivery”.
Published – June 07, 2026 07:51 pm IST
