India’s new spin sensation Manav Suthar reveals key to his success
Young spinner says daily practice and adapting to conditions have driven his early success
India’s 24-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner Manav Suthar marked his second Test appearance with a match-winning 10-wicket haul as India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the opening Test in Galle on Wednesday.
Suthar took 6/55 in Sri Lanka’s second innings after claiming four wickets in the first. His performance proved decisive as Sri Lanka, chasing 372 for victory, were bowled out for 206 on a deteriorating fifth-day pitch.
The 24-year-old’s 10-wicket match haul comes just weeks after he made an impressive Test debut against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. Suthar took seven wickets in that match and was named Player of the Match.
Suthar puts focus on daily improvement
Speaking in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Instagram, Suthar said he takes Test cricket seriously and is focused on improving his skills with every training session.
“I take Test cricket very seriously. My focus is always on improving day by day whenever I go to practice,” he said.
Suthar also revealed that he spent extra time preparing with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan Test, knowing he would need to adapt quickly to different conditions in Sri Lanka.
“After the Afghanistan game, my main goal was to adapt as quickly as possible,” he said. “I practised a lot with the Kookaburra ball in the nets at home to get as tuned into the game as possible.”
Patience key to India’s bowling success
Suthar credited India’s victory to disciplined bowling and said he worked closely with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav to maintain pressure on Sri Lanka’s batsmen.
The three spinners focused on repeatedly bowling in the right areas rather than trying to force wickets.
“We were talking about how patiently we needed to bowl because we knew it could be a little difficult for new batsmen to play on this wicket,” Suthar said.
“Jaddu bhai, Kullu bhai and I were talking about how, if we patiently bowl in one specific area, the results will come automatically. It was just a matter of keeping our patience.”
Despite his personal achievement, Suthar said the team’s victory was what mattered most.
“The most important thing is that we won the match,” he said. “I am very happy about it and very glad that I was able to contribute to the team’s victory.”
“It gives you momentum when you start the series and find a good rhythm,” Suthar said. “Winning gives everyone a lot of confidence.”
After two Tests, Suthar has already made a strong impression, with 17 wickets to his name and a promising start to his international career.
