Manav Suthar, the 24-year-old spinner from Rajasthan, is being viewed highly by several Indian greats, and it comes as no surprise considering the promise he has shown in his opening two Tests for India. The left-arm spinner has so far played two matches for the national team - one against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh and one against Sri Lanka in Galle. In both games, he returned with a fifer and has 17 wickets to his name in total. Looking at Suthar, one gets some classical vibes as he knows the art of pricing out a wicket.
The biggest strength for the spinner is his ability to bowl wicket-to-wicket and not dish out loose deliveries. It would be wrong to say that Suthar magically burst onto the scene. He was highly regarded for several years, and he also has experience playing county cricket for Warwickshire.
Suthar has been grinding it out behind the scenes for more than five years, with his first major exposure to the Indian setup coming in February 2019, when he played for India U19 in the first Youth Test against South Africa U19.
While Suthar might be the toast of the town currently, former Sri Lanka batter Russel Arnold was quick to provide a reality check, saying the spinner is indeed very talented but would be required to prove himself across various conditions before being labelled a “special” spinner.
{{/usCountry}}While Suthar might be the toast of the town currently, former Sri Lanka batter Russel Arnold was quick to provide a reality check, saying the spinner is indeed very talented but would be required to prove himself across various conditions before being labelled a “special” spinner.
{{/usCountry}}“Well, he was good. It's just two Test matches. One against Afghanistan in India and one here. So, to say the word special amongst the others, I am not too sure he's there yet. Because he will have to show himself in different conditions. These are, at the end of the day, helpful conditions. But everything is to like. That's what it's about,” Arnold said while replying to a Hindustan Times Digital query during a select media interaction organised by the Sony Sports Network.
“You need bowlers who can give you control. And that he does. He will have the batter guessing all the time. He is always accurate. So, even on a good pitch, he will play a part in holding one end up. Something like what Ravichandran Ashwin,” he added.
‘Role to play’
In the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, Suthar outbowled both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, and his performance was not surprising considering his preparation. After a ten-wicket haul in the series opener, Suthar revealed that he was practising with the Kookaburra ball back home before touching base in Sri Lanka.
Suthar's opening two Tests have already led to a notion of him filling in the shoes of Ravindra Jadeja whenever the senior statesman decides to hang up his shoes. However, Arnold feels that Suthar needs to dish out performances after performances across the world.
“I think when he played in foreign conditions, he would bowl. But did not get many wickets. But the economy rate would be so low that batters would not break free. It allows the Indian fast bowlers to attack from the other end. There's a lot of value in that. And on helpful pitches, Manav Suthar will come into his own,” said Arnold.
“But beyond that, also, because of his simplicity, he has a role to play. And if he can hold that together, I think he will go on to play many Test matches for India,” he added.
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