India's Next Test Superstars? Verdict On Young Duo Devdutt Padikkal And Manav Suthar Out
Manav Suthar and Devdutt Padikkal were the star performers for India vs Sri Lanka in the first Test
- Manav Suthar took 17 wickets in his first two international matches
- Suthar claimed 10 wickets in the first India vs Sri Lanka Test at Galle
- Devdutt Padikkal scored a career-best 167 in the first innings of the Test
17 wickets in the first two international matches of his career, Manav Suthar's statistics speak for themselves. Suthar's prowess came to the fore once again as he returned with a match haul of 10 wickets in the first India vs Sri Lanka Test, which concluded on Wednesday. In the same match, the young Devdutt Padikkal scored a classy 167 in the first innings. Former Sri Lanka cricketer Russell Arnold praised the 'class' of Devdutt Padikkal and a 'patient' Manav Suthar for being the primary architects of India's emphatic 165-run victory in the first Test at the Galle International Stadium.
Playing in his third Test, Padikkal was the calm aggressor at number three in B Sai Sudharsan's absence and smashed a career-best 167 in the first innings, which ensured India held complete control of the match. A crucial second-innings 44 from the Karnataka batter's willow helped India secure a bigger lead over Sri Lanka.
"Padikkal seems to be in a great zone. He just seems to know exactly what he's about. He uses his strengths really well, and that's his reach and the way he uses his feet. Playing on these slower conditions and pitches is an art, actually. It might seem easy, but not everyone gets runs.
"As you would have seen right throughout the Test match, everyone else did struggle. Most others did struggle, and the fact that he's confident and has been doing really well in all formats, I think this opportunity has come at the right time so that his form also counts. But he's shown a lot of class and quality, and I reckon he's one that India can expect a lot from," Arnold said in a virtual interaction organised by Sony Sports Network on Thursday.
If Padikkal laid the foundation for India's victory with the bat, Suthar, hailing from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, used his subtle changes in pace and variations to ensure Sri Lanka never recovered from the big strikes he made.
His match figures of 4-76 and 6-55 helped him outshine a star-studded spin attack featuring Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Arnold compared Suthar's methodical patience to that of Sri Lanka spin-bowling great Rangana Herath.
"Suthar, on the other hand, is so simple, so good to watch, and I think that's his strength, being simple and being patient.
"On Sri Lankan pitches, we keep harping on the fact that you do get natural variations. Of course, certain spinners have a lot of skill. That was Murali, for example, or Warne. But others who have done really well have done so by keeping it simple and staying patient. The best case in point is Rangana Herath, and Suthar seemed to be doing just that.
"Getting in there, just varying his pace and varying how he releases the ball. It was all there and thereabouts. So that was the good thing from those two. The patience of Suthar is what took him through, and that is hard to maintain," he added.
With Ravichandran Ashwin retired and Jadeja entering the twilight of his career, alongside India's ongoing search for a long-term number three following Cheteshwar Pujara's departure, the emergence of Padikkal and Suthar comes as good news for the Test team.
Although stiffer challenges lie ahead against Australia and New Zealand, India will hope the pair can replicate their brilliance when the second Test gets underway in Colombo on Sunday.
Watch Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test, Day 1 on August 23, 2026, from 10 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada), and Sony LIV.
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