Manav Suthar picked up six wickets, registering the second best bowling figures by an Indian bowler on test debut. Image Credit: X/@BCCI
India vs Afghanistan Test: Manav Suthar, a left-arm spinner, made a remarkable debut on the international scene on Monday, taking six wickets to help India dismiss Afghanistan for 152 and force the follow-on on Day 3 of the one-off Test. With figures of 6 for 33 from 22 overs, the 23-year-old Rajasthan all-rounder became just the tenth Indian bowler and seventh spinner to take five wickets in his Test debut.
Suthar’s match-defining spell also earned him a place in the record books, with his figures ranking as the second-best by an Indian bowler on Test debut behind Narendra Hirwani’s memorable 8 for 61 against the West Indies in 1988. Meanwhile, Suthar, who idolises Ravichandran Ashwin, overtook the former off-spinner on the list for best bowling figures for Indian on test debut.
Starting the day at 113 for 5, Afghanistan struggled against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna struck early, removing Azmatullah Omarzai for a duck, before Suthar took control of the innings. The left-arm spinner struck three times in the morning session, first dismissing Sharafuddin Ashraf for 11 before removing Afghanistan’s top scorer Rahmat Shah, who had battled hard for 60 runs. Suthar then trapped Mohammad Saleem Safi lbw to complete his maiden five-wicket haul before adding another wicket to finish with six. Afghanistan’s innings folded in 58.4 overs, leaving India with a commanding 412-run first-innings lead.
The hosts immediately enforced the follow-on, with head coach Gautam Gambhir and members of the support staff applauding Suthar as he walked back to the dressing room after his remarkable effort. India led by 412 runs when enforcing the follow-on. The visitors then had to bat for another four overs in the first session. Sediqullah Atal showed positive intent as the Afghan openers scored 18 runs reducing the deficit to 394 runs.
Suthar’s rise has been built on consistent performances in domestic cricket. The Rajasthan cricketer has played 29 first-class matches, taking 129 wickets at an average of 25.76 while also contributing 1,026 runs at 25.65. Despite featuring in only three Ranji Trophy matches last season, he claimed 18 wickets, including an eight-wicket haul against Chhattisgarh. He also produced a notable all-round display against Himachal Pradesh, scoring 120 runs and taking seven wickets. His impressive return of eight wickets in an official Test match against Australia A further strengthened his case for national selection.
(With Agency Inputs)
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
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