CHENNAI: And just like that, Manav Suthar announced his arrival on a humid Wednesday afternoon at Galle. The left-arm spinner from Rajasthan took 6/55 in the second innings, finished with a match-haul of 10/129 to help India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs.
Though Devdutt Padikkal was awarded the player of the match — the batter from Bengaluru stole the show with the bat to seal the No 3 spot — it was Suthar's craft and subtle artistry with the ball that stole the show. For those who have been closely following him over the last few years, this would not have come as a surprise.
Suthar has always been ready for this moment as he's a classical left-arm spinner made for red-ball cricket. It is not just that he had the talent, but the number of hours he poured into the craft. The left-arm spinner first came to prominence in 2024 when made a mark in the Duleep Trophy. He spent weeks bowling in the TNCA league. In the two years that followed, he slowly but surely forced his way into the reckoning.
So, everyone in the cricketing fraternity knew that when the moment came, he would be ready. If the Afghanistan Test was a teaser, Galle was a full blown exhibition of what he brings to the table. The sharp arm ball that deceives the batter, the subtle variations — pace, line and length — in a repeatable action and his consistency came to the fore over the last few days.
"It's the subtle variations from the same action, from the same angle without changing his arm speed he's able to bowl slower and quicker as well and there were very subtle variations in angles," vice-captain KL Rahul explained after the match. "In Galle, when the wind was blowing from one side he used that drift really well and from there the ball straightened or came in. That's something that he's always done, even in India. I think he's very consistent from the same place, just using subtle variations he's able to do that through the day. So, batters will also think that if he's not moving then I'll have to do something so when you get a batter in that sort of mindset, you will win the contest. Hopefully, he will just keep getting better but I think his greatest thing is his pace that he bowls at and his consistency to always keep all modes of dismissal in play because the line that he bowls can be LBW and if there's a little turn, it can be caught behind. So, that's a special skill to have."
And the most pleasing aspect about Suthar's rise is that it could not have come at a better time for the Indian Test team. Ravindra Jadeja, for all his consistency and experience, is the last man standing from the previous generation. Every other teammate in the team made their debut post Jadeja. He is right up there in terms of all-time Test all-rounders, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old is not getting any younger. He is still a capable bowling all-rounder in sub-continental conditions and a solid batting all-rounder overseas. And he is still one of the fittest athletes in the country. India will want to milk his services for as long as he puts his hand up.
Which is why, the 24-year-old coming to his own in the team, while Jadeja is still around, holds significance. It means Suthar can learn from the veteran while playing and contributing to the team alongside Jadeja. And as Rahul said, with time and more games under his belt, Suthar is going to get only better.
For now, however, coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Shubman Gill and the selectors will feel vindicated. Suthar has not just proved them right, but shown that he is here to dominate for a long time.
