Not Shubman Gill Or KL Rahul. This India Star's Help Is The Secret To Manav Suthar's Test Success
Manav Suthar on Monday gave another glimpse of his exceptional talent with a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in the first Test here, but the seeds of the left-arm spinner's success was sown in a pre-series stint at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
- Manav Suthar revealed the secret to his recent success in Test cricket
- “I was practising with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan Test," he revealed
- “There are a lot of things that I can learn from Ravindra Jadeja," he added
Manav Suthar on Monday gave another glimpse of his exceptional talent with a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in the first Test, but the seeds of the left-arm spinner's success was sown in a pre-series stint at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Suthar trained for 10 days at the CoE with Kookaburra balls, with winds wafting across the open field -- the training session closely mirrored the conditions at Galle. Suthar underlined the importance of that training where the coaches also focused on his approach to the crease.
“I was practising with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan Test. So, my plan was pretty simple to bowl in good areas, right length, right speed as the wicket here offers some bounce too which makes it mandatory to bowl at the right line,” said Suthar in the post-day press conference.
Suthar's 4 for 76 spell kept the Lankans in check throughout the day, even when centurion Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella (80) resisted the Indian bowlers for the whole of the post-lunch session.
The fightback was unexpected as India had reduced the hosts to 99 for five at lunch.
But the young spinner said the key was to remain patient and keep bowling in the right areas repeatedly.
“Our main focus was to get wickets in the first session. We didn't get wickets in the second session but we got results in the third session. So, our focus was to keep bowling consistently in good areas.
“They (SL batters Dinusha and Dickwella) were rotating the strike well. So, we needed to plan accordingly. So, our focus was on how we can create opportunities by bowling stump to stump line and find the right pace to bowl for this wicket,” he said.
However, Suthar also benefited from the presence of an experienced campaigner at the other end — fellow left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja who also completed 350 wickets in Test cricket en route to a three-wicket haul.
“There are a lot of things that I can learn from him. He uses the (bowling) crease so well. His consistency while bowling at stumps is world class. So I would like to learn from him that no matter what the batsman is doing.
“How long can I bowl on the stump? Can you get a false shot? So there's a lot to learn from him,” he noted.
The 24-year-old also said he observed the way Lankan spinners bowled on this pitch for the first two days.
“They bowled well yesterday. They varied their pace and I feel that on this wicket, the more consistent you are, the more purchase you get. So that's what we were trying to do,” he added.
Suthar made an immediate impression, dismissing veteran Dinesh Chandimal with his first ball of the match.
“It's a very good feeling to get a wicket on the first ball. It gives you lots of confidence throughout the game, I was also playing in the County cricket (for Warwickshire),” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India Cricket Team