Manav Suthar’s dream debut: First Indian in 25 years…

Manav Suthar (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: It was nothing short of a dream debut for Manav Suthar as the young left-arm spinner made an immediate impact for India on Day 2 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.Captain Shubman Gill threw Suthar the red cherry just before tea on Day 2 to hand the debutant his first spell in Test cricket.The twenty-three-year-old player did not keep himself waiting long.On the fourth ball of his Test career, Suthar struck. Abdul Malik attempted a sweep but only managed a top edge, with Mohammed Siraj lunging forward from backward square leg to complete a crisp catch.The wicket sparked jubilant celebrations as Suthar claimed his first Test scalp. Team mates rushed in with hugs and pokes, while the spinner who dunked in no time will be remembered forever.The breakthrough was not only memorable – it was historic.By striking in the very first over of his Test career, Suthar became only the eighth Indian cricketer to score in the first over of his debut match. Remarkably, he joins a list that spans almost eight decades and includes only seven other names in the history of Indian cricket.The exclusive club includes Monta Banerjee (vs West Indies, 1948), Manohar Hardikar (vs West Indies, 1958), Vaman Kumar (vs Pakistan, 1961), Chetan Sharma (vs Pakistan, 1984), WV Raman (vs West Indies, 1988), Nilesh Yokarni (vs England, 2001).What makes Suthar’s feat even more special is that no Indian has reached the milestone of 25 years since Yohannan dismissed Marcus Trescothick in the opener on his debut against England in 2001.Suthar was picked ahead of fellow spin-bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey and almost immediately justified the faith of the team management. He received Test cap No. 319 from senior spinner Kuldeep Yadav before the match, becoming India’s first spin-bowling specialist Test debutant since Axar Patel’s debut in 2021.

Based on this performance, should Suthar be a permanent member of the Indian Test team?

The Indians will take a wicket in their first match in the men’s Tests

PLAYEROPPYEARMontu BanerjeeWest Indies1948Manohar HardikarWest Indies1958Vaman KumarPakistan1961Chetan SharmaPakistan1984WV RamanWest Indies1988Nile KulkarniSri Lanka1997Tinu Yohannan12Manavghan200000002Manavghan