Former India player Ajay Jadeja has lauded Manav Suthar for bowling a potent spell in the first Test against Sri Lanka. With former India batter Mohammad Kaif terming Ravindra Jadeja the Kohinoor diamond, Ajay Jadeja noted that his fellow left-arm spinner is an unpolished jewel.
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. The visitors had posted 462 runs in their first innings and have a lead of 178 runs heading into Day 4.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Ajay Jadeja opined that Suthar can be groomed into a great bowler.
“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 former India all-rounder said.
“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 added.
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that former India left-arm spinners were delighted with his bowling.
“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 observed.
Manav Suthar had Dinesh Chandimal caught behind by Rishabh Pant with his first ball. He subsequently dismissed Lahiru Udara, Prabath Jayasuriya, and Lahiru Kumara to complete his four-wicket haul.
“He is not used to bowling with the Kookaburra ball” – Mohammad Kaif on Manav Suthar’s spell in SL vs IND 2026 1st Test
In the same discussion, Mohammad Kaif praised Manav Suthar for striking blows in different phases of the game despite not being accustomed to bowling with the Kookaburra ball.
“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.
The former Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach added that Suthar enjoys Shubman Gill‘s backing, highlighting the attributes the left-arm spinner brings to the table.
“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 observed.
Manav Suthar was ably supported by Ravindra Jadeja, who registered figures of 3/57 in 21 overs. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav picked up a wicket apiece.
Edited by Kartik Iyer