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    STUMP VISION                                                          AUGUST 28, 2026      |  The Indian Eye 45

                  How Manav Suthar emerged as

                      India’s next big spin prospect

            The young left-arm spinner’s sensational 10-wicket haul in Galle has put him firmly in the spotlight

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            required from a Test spinner.
                                                                                                                      Suthar’s success also reflects the
            GALLE (Sri Lanka)
                                                                                                                  importance of preparation away from
               ndia’s long search for the next                                                                    the spotlight.
               generation of Test match spinners                                                                      After his debut against Afghani-
            Imay have produced an answer in                                                                       stan, he recognised that he needed to
            the  unlikeliest  of  places:  a  fifth-day                                                           adapt quickly to the Kookaburra ball.
            pitch in Galle, where 24-year-old Ma-                                                                 He subsequently trained extensively
            nav Suthar dismantled Sri Lanka’s                                                                     with it in the nets, specifically seeking
            resistance and announced himself on                                                                   to become comfortable with its char-
            the international stage.                                                                              acteristics before the Sri Lanka Test.
                Suthar claimed 10 wickets in In-                                                                      His own explanation was reveal-
            dia’s  165-run  victory  over  Sri  Lanka                                                             ing: he takes Test cricket seriously
            in  the  opening  Test,  following  four                                                              and regards daily improvement as his
            wickets in the first innings with a ca-                                                               primary objective. That attitude may
            reer-best  6/55  in  the  second.  It  was                                                            ultimately prove as important as his
            his maiden 10-wicket haul in only his                                                                 natural ability.
            second Test and came after an equally                                                                     Suthar’s emergence is therefore
            impressive debut against Afghanistan                                                                  not  simply  an  individual  story.  It  is
            in June, when he took seven wickets                                                                   also evidence of a development path-
            and was named Player of the Match.                                                                    way beginning to produce players
                The numbers are impressive. But                                                                   ready for the demands of internation-
            it is the manner in which Suthar has                                                                  al cricket.
            gone about his bowling that has at-                                                                          A long road ahead
            tracted attention.                                                                                        It would be premature to declare
                India captain Shubman Gill was
            quick to recognise the significance of                                                                Suthar the successor to India’s great
                                                                                                                  spin bowlers after just two Tests. In-
            the performance, describing Suthar as                                                                 ternational cricket has a way of test-
            a “very promising” player who could                                                                   ing promising players once opponents
            play for India for a long time.                                                                       understand their strengths.
                For a country that has produced
            generations of outstanding spinners,                                                                      But the early signs are compelling.
                                                                                                                      He has already demonstrated
            such praise carries weight. More im-                                                                  that he can take wickets on different
            portantly,  Suthar’s  bowling  suggests                                                               surfaces, adapt to conditions, vary his
            that he possesses qualities that can                                                                  pace without obvious changes in ac-
            make  him  effective  beyond  favour-  Suthar’s success also reflects the importance of preparation away from the spotlight (File photo)   tion and maintain discipline over long
            able turning tracks.                                                                                  spells. Most importantly, he appears
                                              the surface might provide.        spectacular individual deliveries.
               The art of subtle variation        Suthar appears to understand      Sri Lanka were chasing 372 and   to possess the temperament required
                Perhaps the most revealing as-                                                                    for Test cricket.
            sessment came from vice-captain KL   that equation instinctively.   had reached a position where India    India’s spin cupboard has been
                                                  At Galle, he exploited the breeze
                                                                                needed to maintain pressure. Suthar,
            Rahul, who highlighted Suthar’s abil-  particularly well, generating drift be-  Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav   richly  stocked  for  decades.  The  de-
            ity to create uncertainty without dra-  fore allowing the ball to straighten   concentrated on bowling patiently in   partures  and  ageing  of  established
            matically changing his action.    or  come  into  the  batter.  Rahul  also   specific  areas,  trusting  that  mistakes   stars have inevitably raised questions
                According to Rahul, Suthar can                                                                    about succession. Suthar may now be
            bowl slower or quicker while maintain-  pointed to his consistency, noting that   would eventually follow.  offering an encouraging answer.
                                              Suthar could repeatedly operate from
            ing essentially the same arm speed and   the same area while introducing sub-  The approach worked.       His immediate challenge will be
            action. He also uses changes in angle   tle variations.                 Sri Lanka were eventually bowled   to turn an extraordinary start into sus-
            and trajectory to keep batters guessing.  That combination of discipline   out for 206, with Suthar taking the fi-  tained excellence. If he can maintain
                That ability is crucial in Test                                 nal four wickets across two overs, in-  the same hunger for improvement,
            cricket. A spinner does not necessar-  and variation could become one of his   cluding three in the 76th over, to com-  adaptability and patience that defined
                                              defining strengths.
            ily need to produce extravagant turn                                plete his 10-wicket match haul.   his Galle performance, India could
            with every delivery. Often, the greater   Patience before the rewards   There was little flamboyance in his   have more than a promising young
            weapon is uncertainty — making the    Suthar’s performance was also a   approach. Instead, there was control,   spinner.
            batter unsure about pace, trajectory,   reminder that successful Test bowling   repetition  and  a  willingness  to  wait.  It could have the beginning of an-
            angle  and  the  amount  of  assistance   is often  about patience rather  than   Those are precisely the qualities   other long-term Test career.

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