Manav Suthar reflects on dream Test debut against Afghanistan

After taking 6/33 on his Test debut against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, Manav Suthar shared his emotions, preparations and bowling approach. The young spinner said representing India in Test cricket had always been his ultimate dream and career goal

Hyderabad: The 23-year-old Manav Suthar made a dream Test debut, returning figures of 6/33 against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh.

Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Cricket Live’, Suthar opened up about his emotions after receiving his debut cap, his bowling plans on the New Chandigarh surface, and the challenge of switching from white-ball to red-ball cricket in such a short span of time.

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“Gautam sir and the skipper informed me that I would be making my debut. It was a very proud moment because, ever since I started playing, it had been my dream, my father’s dream, and everyone’s dream for me to play Test cricket for India,” Suthar said.

“From the very first day I started playing and as I progressed through the ranks, red-ball cricket meant everything to me. It is the pinnacle of the sport. So, whether I was playing U-19 cricket or the Ranji Trophy, the goal was always to play Test cricket for India. Kuldeep bhai’s speech while presenting me with the cap was very motivating. Everyone encouraged and motivated me a lot, so it felt really special,” he explained.

On the conditions in New Chandigarh and his approach, Suthar said:

“When they were bowling, a few deliveries were turning. When I was batting, the odd ball was holding up. So, I felt there might be some assistance for the spinners on that track.”

“As soon as I bowled my first over, the ball was turning, so I tried to bowl my stock ball as much as possible on that wicket. Obviously, I didn’t want to get carried away, but my focus was on consistently putting the ball in the right area,” he said.

“Since the beginning, I have focused on spot-bowling, and whatever consistency I have today is because of that. My favourite wicket was obviously the first one, my debut wicket. It will always remain my favourite. There was a good battle going on, so my focus was simply to keep bowling consistently in the same area,” Suthar said.

On the short turnaround between the TATA IPL and the Test match, the left-arm spinner said: “When my name came up in the team, I was practising with the red ball during the IPL as well, thinking about how I would approach things if given the opportunity.”

“After coming here, I had three or four long practice sessions. With bowling, it’s not really about how many hours you put in. If you enjoy bowling, you can bowl 20-25 overs without even realising it. So, the key is to keep bowling as much as you can,” Suthar said.