Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was full of praise for debutant Manav Suthar after the youngster delivered an impressive all-round performance on Day 2 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan on June 7. While Suthar’s bowling figures grabbed attention, Gavaskar revealed that it was the youngster’s confidence with the bat that first caught his eye.

Suthar enjoyed a memorable Test debut, finishing with excellent figures of 3/21 in fewer than 16 overs as he consistently troubled the Afghanistan batting lineup. Before making his mark with the ball, the left-arm spinner had shown promise during a brief but confident stay at the crease, displaying composure beyond his experience.

“What stood out wasn’t just his bowling, but the confidence he showed with the bat as well, in the way he used his feet and looked comfortable at the crease. With the ball, he was accurate and put the batters under pressure,” Sunil Gavaskar said while speaking on JioStar.

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The batting great also pointed out that while the conditions offered some assistance to the spinners, Suthar made excellent use of the surface and maintained control throughout his spell.

“There was some assistance available from the surface, which he utilised well, but the real test for any spinner comes on flatter pitches where greater variety and adaptability are required,” Sunil Gavaskar added. Gavaskar reserved special praise for fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, highlighting the seamer’s ability to assess the conditions and alter his approach accordingly. “Prasidh Krishna showed excellent awareness and adaptability in the way he approached his spell. As a pacer, the instinct is often to operate on a shorter length and use bounce to trouble batters, but he recognised the conditions and adjusted accordingly,” Gavaskar said.

The former India opener explained that Prasidh’s fuller length allowed him to extract movement and create wicket-taking opportunities against the left-handers.

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“By pitching the ball much fuller, he was able to generate movement back into the left-handers and create genuine wicket-taking opportunities,” Sunil Gavaskar added. Gavaskar also applauded Rahmat Shah, who remained unbeaten on 43 from 81 deliveries, describing the Afghan batter’s knock as a perfect example of patience and discipline in the longest format. “Rahmat Shah’s innings was highly impressive because it reflected the mindset and discipline required to succeed in Tests,” Gavaskar said.