Manav Suthar’s dream Test debut leaves dad emotional: We were too nervous to watch

For Jagdish Suthar, the proudest moment of his son’s cricketing journey came on Saturday when he saw Manav receive his first India Test cap. On Sunday, there was a performance that every parent would have liked to see from the stands, but nerves and superstition got the better of the family.

Jagdish Suthar, a retired physical education teacher from Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, traveled to Mullanpur with his wife and daughter Mansi to watch Manav make his Test debut for India against Afghanistan. However, the family returned home before the start of the second day’s play, missing the left-arm spinner’s impressive spell of 3 for 21 in 15.5 overs.

IND vs AFG Highlights: One-off Test Day 2

“Yes, me, my wife and my daughter Mansi (Manav’s younger sister) came to watch his debut. I can’t describe how it felt when I saw him get the Test cap yesterday. However, we returned home today as we were all nervous and a bit superstitious watching him live in action from the stadium,” Jagdish Suthar told PTI on the second day of the Test.

As Manav was troubling the Afghan batsmen and took three wickets on debut, his father preferred to stay away from any personal credit for his son’s success.

“It’s completely Manav’s hard work and the hours he put in. He used to leave home in the morning for practice and come back late in the evening. It’s his credit and his childhood coach Dheeraj Sharma to whom we are all indebted. Manav learned his entire cricket under him,” Suthar senior said.

Jagdish said there was never a single moment when he realized his son was destined for greater things. Instead, it was a passion that developed naturally from youth.

“Like any other child, he was also passionate about cricket. When he was about six to seven years old, he was playing with tennis and a rubber ball. Ever since I was a PT teacher, I always encouraged my son to play and enjoy the sport. When he was around 10 to 11 years old, I enrolled him in Dheeraj sir’s academy. humesha tere saath rahega’ (Whatever you feel like pursuing, do it and I will give you will give my full support),” added Jagdish.

Asked if he ever worried about balancing cricket with academics, the father replied in the negative.

“His focus was cricket but he also completed his graduation,” he informed.

Despite spending most of the year around the game, Manav rarely discusses cricket when he is at home, according to his father.

“When he is at home, we hardly talk about cricket. He doesn’t talk much. Yes, we know he is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin and the way he dominated world cricket during his time,” he concluded.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

07 Jun 2026 19:46 IST