Indian Manav Suthar (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: Washington Sundar was full of praise for his Gujarat Titans teammate Manav Suthar, who made an impressive debut for India with both bat and ball. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar took 3 for 21 and also scored 28 off 41 balls in his maiden Test outing as India dominated the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
The visitors ended day two on 113 for 5 in 39.5 overs here on Sunday.“Manav has been fantastic. Those of us who have watched him over the past few years know exactly what he brings to the table, especially in this format. He has a great skill set and has worked hard on it,” Sundar told reporters at the end of day two.“Seeing him come out and perform like that on the first day at this level, for India, was really special. Credit to him. It’s just the beginning, and we’re all expecting big things from him going forward,” he added.Suthar struck in his first over as Mohammad Siraj completed a running catch to give the spinner his first Test wicket, with Abdul Malik leaving the opener for 16. Suthar then caught Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 12 before dismissing Afsar Zazai in the final over of the day, taking a simple return catch.“Manav has a very strong skill set as a real player. What stands out is how well he can turn the ball and the turns he makes.
“That’s been his biggest strength over the years,” Washington said when asked about the young man’s growth.“He has played a lot of red-ball cricket in the last two years and done really well, which has helped him understand this format better. One thing that is very noticeable is the amount of energy he puts into each delivery. His setup, loading and release all reflect that effort. He puts everything into the ball, and that is something special to behold,” he added.Washington Sundar, who scored his sixth Test half-century, admitted the pitch was on the slower side and was unlikely to improve.“The course is on the slower side and is expected to get slower over the next couple of days. There’s not a lot of bounce and the ball tends to stay a bit low,” he said.“That’s why driving at height becomes difficult. Batsmen have to do their best, play a lot of deliveries and build their innings patiently. For bowlers, it’s about matching up to the right lengths.”“Manav did it very well. He was constantly hitting crucial lengths, not too full and not too short. Over a period of time, that discipline paid off.”
