Manav Suthar’s biggest strength is the ability to impart revs on the ball, says Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar termed the ability to impart revs on the ball as Manav Suthar’s biggest strength after the debutant picked three wickets on the second day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh.

The left-arm orthodox spinner picked his maiden wicket on his just his fourth ball in international cricket as he lured Abdul Malik into a sweep and induced a top-edge to short fine leg. He picked two more before the close of play to leave Afghanistan’s response to 564 reeling at 113 for five.

“Manav has a very strong skill set. What stands out is how much he can turn the ball and the revolutions he gets on it. That’s been his biggest strength over the years. He has played a lot of red-ball cricket in the last couple of years, which has helped him understand this format better. One thing that’s very noticeable is the amount of energy he puts into every delivery. His run-up, load-up, and release all reflect that effort,” Washington said at the post-match presentation on Sunday.

Suthar’s deliveries gripped off the wicket and kept the batters guessing on whether they would turn or skid on straight. Puffs of dust were visible at both ends towards the end of the day and Washington expected the wicket to deteriorate further.

With 451 runs in India’s bank, and 15 wickets to get, worsening conditions would make a day-three finish likelier.

“The pitch is on the slower side and is expected to get even slower. There isn’t a lot of bounce, and the ball tends to stay a bit low. Because of that, driving on the rise becomes difficult. Batters have to grind it out, play a lot of deliveries, and build their innings patiently. For bowlers, it’s about being consistent with the right lengths. Manav did that exceptionally well. He consistently hit crucial lengths, not too full and not short either. Over a period of time, that discipline paid off for him,” Washington said.

Though he only admired Suthar’s exploits from afar, Washington was in the flashpoint earlier in the day. His unbeaten 52 off just 68 balls prolonged Afghanistan’s time in the field into a fifth session.

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Exactly a week ago, he struck a fifty for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League final. Despite the limited turnaround time, Washington managed a successful transition.

“The preparation remains the same regardless of the format. Every single day is about working on your skill sets and improving. When the opportunity comes, you have to be ready. I’ve always believed in preparing consistently

“We had about two or three days of preparation [for this Test], and ideally you’d want a bit more time, but we made the most of what we had. The sessions were really good and helped us get accustomed to the conditions as much as possible.

“There wasn’t any specific message from the dressing room initially. I just wanted to play the ball on merit. It worked well, especially against the seamers. Only about half an hour after lunch did we think about slightly shifting gears, but otherwise it was about settling in and enjoying the batting,” Washington said.

Published on Jun 07, 2026