Manav Suthar tipped to anchor India's Test resurgence as spin lynchpin by ex-cricket great: 'He was accurate, put batters under pressure'

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Manav Suthar's debut performance, saying that he impressed not only with his accurate bowling but also with his confident batting.

Suthar made his India senior men's debut in Test cricket in the one-off Test against Afghanistan at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh (Mullanpur).

Gavaskar predicts Suthar will anchor India's Test revival

Speaking to JioHotstar following the match, Gavaskar described the spinner's maiden Test outing as highly encouraging and said that the left-arm spinner has the qualities to become a firm contender in red-ball cricket in the future.

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"What stood out was not just his bowling, but also the confidence he showed with the bat, particularly in the way he used his feet and looked comfortable at the crease. With the ball, he was extremely accurate and consistently put the batters under pressure. There was some assistance available from the surface, which he utilised well, but the real test for any spinner comes on flatter pitches where greater variety and adaptability are required.

“Having said that, this was a highly encouraging debut and he has shown the attributes to be a strong contender at the Test level going forward,” Gavaskar said.

Suthar made history after claiming his maiden Test wicket

Suthar's impactful debut helped him join a list of rare elites after he claimed a wicket in the first over of his Test career. The spinner dismissed AFG opener Abdul Malik in the fourth ball of his first over, becoming the first Indian to do so since Tinu Yohannan in 2001.

Suthar displayed all-around brilliance, scoring 28 off 41 deliveries to help India post a significant total of 564/8d. The left-arm spinner put up a 3/21 spell, putting Afghanistan in deep trouble as they put up 113/5 at stumps on day two.