After India’s win in the first Test against Sri Lanka, veteran cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Manav Suthar for bowling a match-defining spell. He added that Suthar has made it big despite not coming from a prominent cricketing centre, a trend MS Dhoni had started. However, Suthar registered figures of 6/55 in 23.4 overs as India bowled out Sri Lanka for 206 in their second innings to seal a 165-run win in Galle on Wednesday as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Manav Suthar has actually changed things. You are now constantly thinking about who your first spinner is. He has played only two matches. Of course, these are Asian conditions, which suit him, but when you see him bowl, you realize that, after a long time, we have found a player who is absolutely right for Test cricket.”
“He comes from Sri Ganganagar. There is no cricket infrastructure there, but if a boy does well there, Indian cricket accepts him gladly. That’s the beauty of Indian cricket. It doesn’t matter which village you are from or where you are hidden. It wasn’t like this earlier. This started changing with Dhoni, in a sense, and now it is household,” he further added.
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However, Aakash Chopra also added that Manav Suthar’s seam presentation and height help him extract extra turn and bounce.
“What makes him special is that when the ball leaves his hand, the seam presentation is so good. It is tilted toward third man, and then half the ball falls on the seam and half on the leather. By doing that, the ball gets help after pitching. Since he bowls with a high arm, he also gets extra bounce,” he said.
“The third thing that makes him special is that he has the loop. The batter feels the ball would pitch closer to him than it does. It seems like the kid has come totally prepared. He knows what to do. He knows how to bowl. He knows how to take wickets. He is absolutely perfect for Test cricket,” he concluded.
