In a short span of time, Manav Suthar has impressed in each of his three outings with three different types of balls in three different conditions. The left-arm spinner made his Test debut against Afghanistan at Mullanpur in June with the SG ball, took five or more wickets against Sri Lanka at Galle in August with the Kookaburra, and starred for Warwickshire against Essex in a County Championship Division One match at Chelmsford in September with the Dukes ball.

Suthar on Monday said adapting quickly to different balls and conditions was crucial. “To adjust, I practise a little more with whichever ball is going to be used in the match. That is what I try to do,” he said.

“I try to adapt not just the ball, but the conditions too. How the wicket is going to play, what the weather is like, how the wind is blowing, how much drift to expect – I try to see how quickly I can adapt to all of that.”

It is especially windy in New Zealand and Suthar has been studying footage for a better understanding of the New Zealand conditions as part of his preparation for the India-A Tour of New Zealand. Asked whether he was studying the lengths to bowl, the pace through the air, or how the ball behaved off the surface, he said he was looking at “everything.”

The 24-year-old added that his experience of bowling with the Kookaburra in Sri Lanka would help him adjust more quickly in New Zealand.

“Absolutely. If you have already played with a particular ball, it takes you a little less time to adjust. That will definitely help,” he said.

The charge of the young brigade helped India defeat Sri Lanka in the first Test. Devdutt Padikkal, 26, and Manav Suthar, 24, were the prime architects of this demographic bonus rippling with vitality.

Playing his third Test, Padikkal was expected to be both adhesive and aggressor at No. 3, besides living up to the legacy of the Karnataka school of batsmanship with its patrons being G.R. Viswanath and Rahul Dravid. His 167 in the first innings ensured that India never had to look back in this match.

He was decisive in his shot-selection, there was a fluidity to his run accumulation and it also helped that Statemate K.L. Rahul was with him. When the two spoke about each other, both mentioned about understanding the other’s tempo at the crease.

Southpaw Padikkal found a berth due to an injury side-lining Sai Sudharsan, but he grabbed his chance on a slow pitch while the weather remained hot and sultry despite the odd shower. Padikkal also registered a 44 in the second innings, vital runs when India hustled for a bigger lead.

If Padikkal laid the base, Suthar ensured that India’s dreams did not vanish. A classical left-arm spinner with loop and drift, Suthar is a throwback to a gentler past. He can constrict the batters to their crease and also tease them to their doom. His four for 76 and six for 55 were the twin blows from which Sri Lanka never recovered.

Suthar outshone his spin colleagues.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

Indelible mark

Playing his second Test, Suthar belied no nerves. Among left-arm twirlers in the XI, one that had both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, Suthar left an indelible mark. That he can bat a bit is an added bonus as the Indian Test outfit these days is saddled with a fragile tail.

With R. Ashwin having retired and Jadeja in his twilight phase, Suthar is perhaps the man to carry forward the great Indian spin tradition. For both Padikkal and Suthar, a tougher scrutiny would be the home Tests against the visiting Australians next year. But for now, there is the second Test at Colombo to deal with.

A gentle passing of the baton is on in Indian cricket and this one is centred around left-arm spin.

Just as Ravindra Jadeja copes with sporting twilight, his successor could well be Manav Suthar. The duo was among the wickets in the first innings of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.

Suthar, who made his debut against Afghanistan earlier this year, grabbed four wickets while his senior colleague gained three. “Our main focus was to get wickets in the first session. We did the same in the second session but Sri Lanka batted well. Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella played well and kept rotating the strike. But we got results in the third session,” Suthar told the media on Monday.

Even as Sri Lanka held firm between lunch and tea, Suthar said that the plans were clear: “Our main focus was to get them out and what could be the best mode of dismissal. Even if a wicket didn’t fall in that session, we just focused on creating opportunities.”

After his Test debut, Suthar trained with the Kookaburra ball as it is used in Sri Lanka: “I was practising with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan Test and my plan has always been to bowl in good areas. The Sri Lankan spinners varied their pace and on this pitch, the more consistent you are, the more purchase you get.”

Suthar dismissed Dinesh Chandimal with his very first delivery. “It is a very good feeling to get a wicket off the first ball. It gives you a lot of confidence. The pitch here has some bounce and it has been a good experience to bowl on this surface.”

He also clarified that issues like the ball going soft and the strong breeze did not affect his rhythm.

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”.