‘A bit superstitious’: Why Manav Suthar’s parents couldn’t watch his India debut

India’s Manav Suthar (PTI Photo) Indian debutant Manav Suthar’s memorable performance against Afghanistan came with an unusual twist. While the young spinner played with the ball on the second day of the one-off Test in Mullanpur, his family chose not to witness the act from the stands.According to PTI, Manav’s father Jagdish Suthar, a retired physical education teacher from Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, traveled to Mullanpur along with his wife and daughter Mansi to watch the left-arm spinner get his first Test cap. However, before the second game day, the family returned home due to nerves and superstition. Manav repaid the faith shown in him by the Indian team management with a superb spell of 3/21 in 15.5 overs, leaving Afghanistan struggling in their first innings.“Yes, me, my wife and my daughter Mansi (Manav’s younger sister) came to watch his debut. I can’t describe what it was like to see 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 during an exclusive interaction on the second day of the Test.Despite his son’s rise to international cricket, Jagdish was unwilling to take any credit for the success. Instead, he highlighted the dedication Manav has shown over the years and acknowledged the role played by his childhood coach.“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.Reflecting on his son’s early years, Jagdish said there was never a single moment when he realized that Manav could become a professional cricketer. Like many children, cricket was simply a game he loved from a young age.“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.When asked if he was concerned about balancing cricket and education, Jagdish said it was never an issue.“His focus was cricket but he also completed his graduation,” he informed.According to his father, Manav remains a quiet and reserved personality off the field despite his growing reputation on the field.“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 decision to leave early may have spared the family some anxious moments, but back home they would have been pleased to know that Manav enjoyed a dream second day in Test cricket, putting Afghanistan under immense pressure on debut as he took three wickets.