Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has showered praise on Manav Suthar’s spell after India registered a massive win of an innings and 300 runs against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh on Monday. This is India’s biggest Test win as they dominated in all three departments.
Suthar, who was making his debut, returned with impressive figures of 6-33 in the first innings as he breathed down the neck of the Afghan batters. The left-arm orthodox spinner accounted for Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Afsar Zazai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Mohammad Saleem Safi.
Thus, he became the second Indian bowler in this century to take five wickets on Test debut.
“There wasn’t even one short ball or a half volley. How can the control be better than this? You have bowled more than 120 balls and are able to bowl consistently at one spot. He troubled everyone. We have spoken about drift and spin, but his ball dips as well. The ball pitches six inches shorter than you feel it would pitch,” Aakash Chopra said on Star Sports.
“Ultimately, there is a slight guesswork in batting. When the ball is released from the hand, your guesswork starts as to where it would go, how much it would swing or drift, but if you can beat that calculation consistently, that is where you pick up a lot of wickets. He is beating the batter in three ways. The ball is drifting, dipping, and then the various degrees of spin we have seen,” he added.
On the other hand, former Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said Suthar will face a different challenge in the Sri Lankan conditions.
“There will be a different challenge for him in Sri Lanka because it won’t be the SG Test, but the Kookaburra ball will be used there. So, it’s a challenge, but I would love to see him because you have got a bowler who bowls with such skills after a long time, and he bats as well, and an all-rounder is the favorite thing of this team management,” he said.
Nayar also urged the team management to back Suthar with the bat. Suthar scored a decent knock of 28 runs against Afghanistan.
“He can also give you runs with the bat, but the Kookaburra ball will be a new challenge for him because the feel of that seam is different. If you want to judge a bowler against a team that plays spin well, Sri Lanka, and there will be more help for spinners in the turning conditions there, it’s a great opportunity to give a chance to a new talent who has shown what he can do,” Nayar observed.
India will play two Test matches against Sri Lanka.
