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India’s young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar put in plenty of work before the Sri Lanka series, and that preparation paid off in the first Test in Galle.
The 22-year-old was playing only his second Test but delivered a match-winning performance. He picked up 10 wickets as India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs at the Galle International Stadium on Wednesday.
Suthar took 6-55 in Sri Lanka’s second innings, finishing the match with figures of 10-101. His performance helped India take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
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Suthar practised with the Kookaburra ball
Speaking in a video shared by the BCCI, Suthar revealed that he spent a lot of time preparing with the Kookaburra ball after India’s match against Afghanistan.
He practised with the ball both at home and during net sessions so that he could adjust to the conditions as quickly as possible.
"I take cricket very seriously. My focus is to improve day to day when I go to practice. I practice as much as I can. My focus after the Afghanistan game was to adapt as soon as possible. I practised a lot with the Kookaburra ball. I practised in nets and at home. I was focusing on in-house games. It was very important," Suthar said.
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Early arrival in Sri Lanka helped
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India reached Sri Lanka 10 days before the Test, giving Suthar enough time to get used to the conditions.
The spinner said the early arrival was particularly useful in helping him understand how to bowl with the Kookaburra ball.
"We came to Sri Lanka ten days ago, and it helped a lot in adapting to the environment and how to play with the Kookaburra ball. I get time to adapt. It has helped me a lot," he said.
Patience was key in Galle
Suthar also spoke about the importance of patience on the Galle pitch.
He said he, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav discussed how they needed to stay patient because batters coming in at the crease could find it difficult to settle on the surface.
"We were talking about how patiently we can play. We knew that it would be difficult for the new batsmen to play on this wicket," Suthar said.
Team victory matters most
Despite his impressive 10-wicket haul, Suthar said the team’s victory was more important to him than his individual performance.
“The most important thing is that we won the match. That is the most important thing. I am very happy about that. I am very happy that I was able to perform in the team’s victory. Winning is the best thing,” he said.
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Suthar also believes the win has given India a strong start to the series and helped the team build momentum.
“It is very important because you get momentum when you start this series. You get a good rhythm. You get momentum as a team. It helps a lot. Everyone feels good when we win. I would like to say that it is very good. Winning is the best thing,” he added.
Eyes on the second Test
After making a strong impact in Galle, Suthar will now look to carry his form into the second Test.
India will face Sri Lanka in the second match of the series from August 23, with Suthar expected to play an important role with the ball.