CHENNAI: Test debuts are tricky. These are moments cricketers dream and toil for years, and when they come, it is not always easy to grab the chance and play like they belong.
No matter how hard they try, no matter how prepared they are, sometimes, debuts can go awfully. Several legends and veterans' careers are proof of that. Some people, on the other hand, feel at home from the moment they walk on to the field, donning the creamy whites.
Manav Suthar is one of them. Barely 23, Suthar has dreamed a decade for this moment. He was handed the Test cap on Saturday. The opposition is Afghanistan in a home Test. But nerves could still be there. And it would be understandable.
Suthar, if there were any, did not let the world see it. Instead, after a steady cameo with the bat, he made the cricketing fraternity sit up and watch from the moment he let go off the red cherry for the first time on Sunday.
The revolutions were there. The drift was there. But then came the turn and bounce. For those who hadn't seen him till then, it was a revelation. For those who had seen, played alongside and followed Suthar, it was a validation. That he is in his element. Over the last two and a half years, Suthar has been that one spinner who excited every one in the Indian cricket ecosystem. He had spent years, bowling the volume of overs preparing for this and anyone who saw him for the first time, knew he had the goods.
The left-arm spinner got the call-up for the Duleep Trophy in 2024 (not the zonal format) and impressed the selectors. The road to that was a truckload of overs sent down in TNCA senior division league and CoE camp. From thereon, he moved up the pecking order, got picked for India A and has been in the scheme of things that led up to the first ball of the sixth over on Sunday. If beating the outside edge of Abdul Malik made the viewers sit up and watch, three balls later, he had his first Test wicket. A top-edge off an attempted sweep to send Malik packing.
That not just gave him the confidence, but also to the captain Shubman Gill who has seen enough and more of Suthar at Gujarat Titans. Such was the trust in the debutant that Gill kept him on from one end for the next 25 overs. Suthar's first spell in Test cricket was one that lasted 13 overs (Tea was taken after his first four balls), and the second wicket, of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, is proof of why.
Suthar imparted enough and more revs on the ball to make it drift into Gurbaz before landing on the seam and straightening. The result, an outside edge that carried to second slip.
Suthar had taken two wickets before getting a breather. But when it seemed like a partnership was building, Afghanistan were stuttering along from 62/3 to 113/4, Gill brought him back just before stumps. And Suther delivered again. By the time they walked off the field, his figures read — 15.5-7-21-3. Not a bad first day in the office. Afghanistan ended the day at 113/5 after India declared at 564/8.
His teammate Washington Sundar believes so and feels this is just the beginning. "He's got great skill sets as a spinner, genuine spinner in terms of how much he could actually spin the ball and how much revs he could actually bring on the ball. That's always been his strength over the years in any format. He has played a lot of red-ball, especially in the last two-three years and done really well every single time he has played in this format. But yeah, in terms of skill set, he gives all his energy on the ball every single delivery. He uses a lot of his body. It's there for us to sort of see and sort of observe because it's quite evident. Every time he sort of gets into his load-up and releases the ball, he sort of gives all of his energy into the ball. That's an amazing skill as well as the attitude to sort of bring in every single delivery," Washington explained what makes Suthar special.
"As players who have been playing with him for the last few years, we know what he could actually bring to the table, especially in this format. It was a genuine treat to watch, especially at this level for India, for him to bring out his best skill sets, especially on day one (with the ball), is amazing. You can expect a lot more from him, especially in terms of him winning a lot of games for India," he added.
Indeed. And the next few days would prove that as well.