Former India player turned commentator Ajay Jadeja has applauded Manav Suthar for bowling a stunning spell in the first Test against Sri Lanka. With former India batter Mohammad Kaif calling Ravindra Jadeja the Kohinoor diamond, Ajay
Jadeja added that his fellow left-arm spinner is an unpolished jewel now. Suthar registered figures of 4/76 in 21.4 overs as India bowled out Sri Lanka for 284 in their first innings in Galle on Monday, August 17 as well.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Ajay Jadeja said, “These are great signs for Indian cricket. We have praised Ravindra Jadeja a lot just now. He (Suthar) also bowls left-arm spin, but he is a totally different bowler. Jadeja is at the top of his career. This is just the start of his (Suthar’s) career, and we are seeing him outperform from now itself.”

“The advantage for him is that he has a senior left-arm spinner with him who has so much experience. If Jadeja is the Kohinoor, which is already polished and put on the crown, he (Suthar) is that jewel that will be polished now. We haven’t yet seen its shine,” he further added.

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“How you use him can decide whether he can be a part of the greats. We could see a smile on Murali Kartik, WV Raman, and Venkatapathy Raju’s faces when they were talking about him today. It’s almost like a lost skill. The dip he gets, a bowler almost longs for that. It was like the ball was attached to a string. All our faces lit up seeing that skill,” Jadeja shared again.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Kaif applauded Manav Suthar for striking blows in different phases of the match despite not being accustomed to bowling with the Kookaburra ball as well.

“He is not used to bowling with the Kookaburra ball. He plays with the SG Test in India. It’s not easy to bowl with the new Kookaburra ball. He picked up a wicket with his first ball. Then he took another wicket when Yashasvi Jaiswal took the catch, and took two wickets later with the old ball,” he said.

“Manav Suthar is being backed. Shubman Gill has told him that their eyes are on him. We talk about the fantastic drift, turn, bounce, slowness, and control with which he bowls. Jadeja bowls fast, but his ball forms a loop. His accuracy, mindset, and adjustment to consistently bowl at the same spot will be praised,” Kaif concluded.