Debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar said sticking to his strengths and relentlessly bowling in the right areas helped him make an immediate impact in Test cricket after his three-wicket haul put India in complete control of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.
Suthar returned figures of 3-21 in 15.5 overs as India reduced Afghanistan to 113/5 at stumps on Day Two after declaring their first innings at a commanding 564/8. The visitors still trail by 451 runs, with the young spinner emerging as the standout performer on his first day in Test cricket.
Speaking after the day's play, Suthar said his plan was straightforward: make the most of the assistance available from the surface by consistently bowling in the right areas. “My focus during the spell seemed to be on bowling in the right areas and backing my strengths.
The wicket was helping, so my effort was to bowl in the right areas and hit the right length as consistently as possible,” Suthar said. Asked about the strengths that helped him succeed, Suthar pointed to his ability to generate turn and his emphasis on consistency.
“The focus was simple. The wicket was offering some help and my strength is getting the ball to turn. So my aim was to extract as much turn as possible because the pitch was assisting. At the same time, I wanted to keep bowling in good areas and hit the ideal length consistently, because that was where the help was coming from.
That was my entire focus,” he explained. The spinner also acknowledged the role played by India captain Shubman Gill, with whom he has shared a dressing room in the IPL, saying the skipper's understanding of his game proved valuable.
“Yes, possibly. Since we've played together, he understands my strengths and my bowling well. Based on that, he guides me regarding field placements, match situations, and the lines and lengths I should bowl,” Suthar added.
Earlier, India posted 564/8 declared, powered by centuries from Shubman Gill and KL Rahul before Washington Sundar's unbeaten 52 provided the finishing touches. Suthar then struck key blows, dismissing Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Afsar Zazai, to leave Afghanistan staring at a follow-on threat heading into Day Three.