Manav Suthar has made an impressive start to his Test career, picking up back-to-back five-wicket hauls in his first two matches for India. His arrival comes at an interesting time for the team, with Indian cricket entering a transition phase and still looking for a long-term successor to Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ashwin’s retirement left a sizeable gap in India’s Test attack. Washington Sundar has been given opportunities and showed his value with the bat during the England tour, but his ability to consistently pick up wickets has remained a talking point.
Suthar made his Test debut against Afghanistan and immediately gave the selectors reason to believe in him, finishing with a five-wicket haul. The achievement did not receive as much attention, partly because Afghanistan are still developing as a Test side and the series was not part of the World Test Championship. But his latest performance against Sri Lanka has given that debut haul much more context. Suthar followed it up with another five-wicket haul, showing he could be a serious option for India’s spin attack going forward.
However, there is something encouraging about Suthar’s rise, especially with India backing him for the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. With Ashwin no longer in the side, India’s spin attack had a big responsibility on a surface expected to offer plenty of turn. Suthar ended up outshining the more experienced Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, making the most of the conditions. He may not be a like-for-like replacement for Ashwin, but there are similarities with Jadeja in the sense that both are left-arm options who can contribute with the bat. Suthar, though, appears to extract more turn from the surface, giving him an added weapon and making his emergence even more interesting for India.
{{/usCountry}}However, there is something encouraging about Suthar’s rise, especially with India backing him for the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. With Ashwin no longer in the side, India’s spin attack had a big responsibility on a surface expected to offer plenty of turn. Suthar ended up outshining the more experienced Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, making the most of the conditions. He may not be a like-for-like replacement for Ashwin, but there are similarities with Jadeja in the sense that both are left-arm options who can contribute with the bat. Suthar, though, appears to extract more turn from the surface, giving him an added weapon and making his emergence even more interesting for India.
{{/usCountry}}The feats Suthar has achieved in just two Tests are something only a handful of Indian cricketers have managed at the start of their careers.
Multiple five-wicket hauls in first two Tests for India:
3 - Narendra Hirwani
3 - Axar Patel
2 - Laxman Sivaramakrishnan
2 - Mohammad Nissar
2 - Manav Suthar
Fewest matches for maiden 10-wicket match haul for India:
1 - Narendra Hirwani (16/136 on debut vs West Indies, Chennai, 1988)
2 - Laxman Sivaramakrishnan
2 - Axar Patel
2 - Manav Suthar
4 - Srinivas Venkataraghavan
Narendra Hirwani is perhaps the closest comparison to Suthar's current rise. He picked up 24 wickets in his first two Tests and was quickly seen as the next big thing in Indian spin. His debut, when he claimed 16 wickets against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988, remains one of the most memorable starts by an Indian spinner. But Hirwani’s career did not reach the heights many expected. He played only 17 Tests for India, with his final appearance coming in 1996, as inconsistent performances brought a promising career to an early end.
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan also made a strong start, claiming a 10-wicket haul in only his second Test with 12 wickets against England. However, his Test career lasted just nine matches, in which he picked up 26 wickets.
Axar Patel, too, had a terrific beginning. He claimed 27 wickets in his first three Tests against England in 2021 and appeared set to become a regular in India’s Test side. However, Ravindra Jadeja’s continued presence made it difficult for Axar to cement his place. He remains an important part of India’s white-ball plans in 2026, but has fallen out of the Test setup.
Suthar now has an opportunity to avoid a similar fate. With Jadeja entering the latter part of his career, India are already looking towards the future. Suthar has shown he can be the next left-arm option, capable of extracting sharp turn, picking up crucial wickets and contributing useful runs down the order. His start has been exceptional, but the real challenge will be sustaining it and turning early promise into a long Test career.
With Jadeja expected to remain part of India’s plans for the ongoing WTC cycle, Suthar could have an ideal mentor alongside him as he settles into Test cricket. The youngster has the potential to become a major option for India over the next few years. He may not be the like-for-like replacement India needed for Ashwin, given that he is a left-arm spinner rather than a right-arm off-spinner, but Suthar brings something different. His ability to extract sharp turn and attack batters makes him a refreshing option, particularly in subcontinental conditions where India have struggled to dominate with spin in recent times.