Explained: What sets Manav Suthar apart from other Indian spinners
What's the story
In a stunning display of skill and control, debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar led India to an innings win in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. Suthar took seven wickets, including a first-innings six-wicket haul, as India won by an innings and 300 runs. While India's win was straightforward, Suthar's spin revolutions and flight showed why he could be India's specialist spinner for years to come.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Suthar's international career was off to a dream start as he took a wicket in his very first over. Five more wickets in the first innings made him the 10th Indian to take a fifer on Test debut. Among spinners, he is only the seventh Indian to achieve this feat. But what stood out was the dip, drift, and revolutions Suthar produces, the skills the modern-day spinners lack.
Skill
Suthar's traditional skill
Suthar idolizes Ravichandran Ashwin, India's most successful off-spinner in Tests. However, unlike Ashwin, the left-arm spinner focuses more on his accuracy. Explaining Suthar's technique on X, Ashwin wrote, "It's not just the angle of rotation or over spin, it's also the speed at which it is rotating." This already sets Suthar apart from other Indian spinners. While Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar are known for hitting the deck hard, Kuldeep Yadav is a wrist-spinner.
Career
A look at his career
Suthar is a spin-bowling all-rounder from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The southpaw currently has 136 First-Class wickets from just 30 matches at an average of 24.89. He already has 7 fifers and three match hauls of 10 wickets. Suthar was awarded his maiden Test cap by Kuldeep. With this, he became India's first specialist spinner to debut for India in Tests since Axar in 2021.