Promising debuts of keenly tracked young cricketers at the highest level tend to linger in the memory for long. They act as a tantalising prelude to the career ahead, and invite lofty expectations from an entourage of admirers.
It need not always be a three-figure score or five-wicket haul that instigates this rush of excitement; sometimes a sumptuous cover-drive racing across the turf, an in-swinging yorker detonating the stumps or a big-spinning delivery breaching bat and pad is enough.
A debut to savour
Last month, Manav Suthar’s Test debut against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh contained many ingredients worthy of such enthusiasm.
Statistically, the 23-year-old left-arm spinner from Rajasthan became the seventh Indian to take a five-wicket haul in his maiden innings. Of equal essence was the nuanced exhibition of his skillset. It transcended the benign nature of the black-soil pitch, and managed to hold the spectators, though scattered in the 38,000-capacity Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium amid scorching heat, in rapt attention.
As soon as the youngster was given the ball at the start of the sixth over in Afghanistan’s first innings, he got down to business. With two slips and a short-leg around opener Abdul Malik, Manav started with a dream delivery for his tribe of left-arm spinners: the ball pitched on a good length, drew the batter forward, spun and kicked up, like a serpent taunted, to beat the outside edge.
Having played and missed twice more, Malik, with just three balls left for the tea interval, responded with a daft sweep. He skied the cross-batted stroke to Mohammed Siraj at short fine-leg, and became the first victim of Manav’s Test career. The tweaker finished with figures of six for 33 and one for 29 as India clinched victory by an innings and 300 runs.
Though the unvarnished truth is that Afghanistan isn’t yet up to Test standard, Manav’s illuminating debut was significant for two reasons. One, this was the first time since 2010 that India was playing a home Test without either the now-retired R. Ashwin or the rested Ravindra Jadeja. Two, neither Washington Sundar nor Kuldeep Yadav looked as threatening as the debutant.
From the ease of his graceful action to the revolutions imparted on the ball as it fizzed out of his left hand, Manav’s modus operandi was largely reminiscent of an older vintage of spinners whose style was adorned by generous flight, deadly drift and sharp turn. Particularly at a time of perpetual lament about the erosion of the traditional tenets of finger-spin, Manav’s arrival appears as refreshing as the first spell of monsoon showers.
Sure, stiffer challenges will follow. But in circumstances where Jadeja was given a break just for the think-tank to take a closer look at the next cab off the rank, Manav, who was picked in the XI ahead of Harsh Dubey, couldn’t have done more to impress.
The southpaw’s rousing entry bolsters the competition in India’s spin department ahead of a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka where the slow bowlers have historically dominated. For their assignment across the Palk Strait in August, Shubman Gill & Co. are expected to travel with four spinners in Jadeja, Washington, Kuldeep and Manav.
What Jadeja offers
As tempting as it may now seem to make a case for Manav over Jadeja, the latter’s importance to the Test team remains unaltered in the view of the men who matter. Even if he hasn’t procured a bundle of wickets of late, his batting has aged like fine wine. In 2025, the 37-year-old tallied 764 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 63.66 — higher than any previous calendar year. Conversely, he scalped just 25 wickets at 38.2 with his left-arm spin.
Blue chip: Ravindra Jadeja hasn’t been at his best with the ball in recent times, but his all-round importance to the side remains unaltered in the view of those who matter.
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GETTY IMAGES
Some of this was down to the conditions across five Tests in England. But even in more conducive surroundings at home recently, Jadeja hasn’t quite looked like the bowler with 348 Test victims to his name. If his runs, rather than his returns with the ball, continue to drive Jadeja’s presence in the team, the bowling unit will be saddled with consequences in the longer run in its efforts to keep picking up 20 wickets.
But with India touring New Zealand for two Tests in November, it is prudent to repose trust in the veteran all-rounder for now. At scenic venues where it can be difficult to distinguish the playing surface from the lush green outfield, Jadeja’s run-making ability at No. 6 or 7, alongside a few overs of left-arm spin, will offer balance and depth. That Australia will subsequently visit India for a high-profile five-Test series points to Jadeja, with all his experience, staying a vital cog for the remainder of this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Washington’s forte, too, is his all-round repertoire. Ever since his comeback in late 2024, the 26-year-old from Chennai has invariably chipped in with bat or ball. That said, the jury in his case is still out on whether he can conjure up definitive performances as an off-spinner.
Point to prove: Washington Sundar has chipped in with bat or ball, but the jury is still out on whether he can conjure up definitive performances as an off-spinner.
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PTI
In fairness, Washington has had his moments. On his return to the Test fold against New Zealand in Pune, he claimed a match haul of 11 for 115. While that was admittedly on a dust-bowl, his four for 22 in the second innings against England at Lord’s last year was an example of his wily use of drift on a track inimical to spin. Neither performance earned plaudits since India lost.
When he complemented Manav with five wickets against Afghanistan, Sunil Gavaskar noticed encouraging signs. “Earlier on in Tests, you saw that Washington was more of a flat bowler. But against Afghanistan, he was prepared to experiment. Give the ball a little tweak. Use the crease quite smartly. So, I think he is beginning to grow as a bowler,” Gavaskar said during a media interaction on Monday.
Washington’s chance to silence the naysayers is in Sri Lanka. If the reticent all-rounder can rise as a match-winner with the ball as India scrambles to climb the WTC table from its fifth position, there is bound to be greater appreciation of his multifaceted value.
The Kuldeep situation
Going through a bit of a rut across formats at this point is Kuldeep. The left-arm wrist-spinner may not have always had the rub of the green, but the 31-year-old also ought to concede his shortcomings. Having been repeatedly overlooked during the five-Test tour of England last year, he hasn’t since had the impact expected of a wicket-taking spinner against South Africa and Afghanistan in the longer version.
Awaiting lift-off: Overlooked in England last year, Kuldeep hasn’t since had the impact expected of a wicket-taking spinner against South Africa and Afghanistan.
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K. MURALI KUMAR
Beyond these faces, there are efforts underway to groom a wider pool. In the tune-up to the Test against Afghanistan, leggie Zeeshan Ansari, left-arm wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar and off-spinner Saransh Jain were called up to the India nets. Pertinent as that is, promising debuts can wait. In the race to reach next year’s WTC final, India needs its incumbent spinners to take prominence.
Published – July 03, 2026 10:47 pm IST
