It’s not easy: Manav Suthar remains grounded despite a dream five-star Test debut
Refusing to let instant success go to his head, India debutant Manav Suthar remained remarkably grounded after leading India to a dominant win over Afghanistan. Despite a spectacular five-star performance that dismantled the opposition batting line-up, the 23-year-old spinner emphasized that red-ball cricket requires immense respect and hard work.
The historic match was a massive test of India’s bench strengthfor the first time in 15 years, they played a domestic Test without veterans Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja. Speaking at the post-match presentation after winning the Player of the Match award, Suthar was quick to dismiss any notion that international cricket is easy and highlighted the format’s steep learning curve.
IND vs AFG Live Score: One-off Test, Day 3 Highlights
“No sir, not really. It was a very surreal feeling. It was my dream from the very beginning to play for India and play Test cricket. So it was an incredible moment for me and it honestly felt quite surreal.”
“The biggest lesson is that consistency is everything. You have to bowl in the same area again and again. I think that’s the most important thing in Test cricket. It’s a format that requires a lot of patience.”
Hailing from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, Suthar’s mature approach mirrored his expansive game in domestic cricket as Afghanistan collapsed twice on Day 3. After being dismissed for 152 and forced to continue, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side were bowled out for just 112 in their second essay, giving India a comprehensive victory in three days.
HOW WAS MANAV SUTHAR’S TEST DEBUT IN INDIA?
Suthar scored one of the most memorable bowling performances by the Indian debutant who took 6 for 45 in the first innings and finished with seven wickets in the match. On a surface that lacked extravagant help, he showed great tactical awareness and chose to read the batting conditions before he even dropped the ball.
“Even when I went in to bat, I felt quite comfortable. When I settled in and faced a few deliveries, I realized that there was a bit of assistance for the spinners on the wicket. Then when I came to bowl and bowled my first over, I felt the same way.”
Instead of looking for immediate wickets with standard variations, Suthar showed immense restraint by sticking to his main strengths to break the Afghan resistance.
“Initially I focused on understanding how the wicket plays. So I wanted to rely on my stock as much as possible. Once I understood that the wicket was a bit slow and required some changes in pace, I started making those adjustments.”
His discipline earned him the captain’s trust and a second new ball, an honor the youngster described as “a matter of great pride”.
Apart from an impassioned, unsuccessful plea to have the rating rejected because he thought it “looked absolutely stupid”, Suthar remained calm, clinically present on the field and capped off his dream debut with the man of the match trophy.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
08 Jun 2026 16:39 IST