New Delhi: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra lavished praise on young all-rounder Manav Suthar after his heroics with the ball on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Suthar bagged a four-wicket haul as India bundled out the hosts for 284 runs in their first innings on Monday.
Speaking about Suthar’s rapid rise in Tests, Chopra said he has got all the qualities required to become Jadeja’s long-term successor for India in the longest format. The former India cricketer went a step further in labelling Suthar an “upgraded version” of Jadeja purely as a bowler.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked by a fan if Suthar, who is playing only his 2nd Test for India in Galle, has done enough to cement his spot in the playing XI in Asian conditions. The former India cricketer said Suthar has nailed his spot in the team with the kind of skills he brings with the ball.
“I will say yes because he is a mighty guy. When he releases the ball, it drifts, bounces, and turns. He dismisses you while defending. When you can make the opposing batter lick dust while defending, and that too repeatedly, that tells you this guy has the might,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Along with that, he also bats, which means you can keep him in mind even in overseas conditions. I am seeing him as a successor to Ravindra Jadeja because Jaddu will go at some stage, and you will need somebody like him. If I look at him purely as a bowler, I think he is Jadeja’s upgraded version,” he added.
Manav Suthar continues to impress for India
Suthar has continued to impress for India since making his debut in the one-off Test against Afghanistan earlier this year. On Sunday, he combined with Jadeja to run through the Sri Lanka batting line-up in their first innings in Galle. He removed Dinesh Chandimal on his very first delivery in the innings before getting rid of Lahiru Udara cheaply.
The spin all-rounder from Rajasthan made great use of the surface, extracting bounce off it and using flight to trouble the Sri Lankan batters throughout their first innings. He finished with a four-wicket haul as India bundled out Sri Lanka for 284 runs in their first innings, in response to India’s first-innings total of 462 runs.
Jadeja and Suthar bagged seven wickets between them in Sri Lanka’s first innings to help India amass a strong lead of 178 runs for their second innings. Chopra believes Suthar has come a long way in his career and is destined to go far for Team India if he can continue making rapid strides in his career.
“Suthar has played only two Test matches, and he is consistently saying that he is good. He comes from Sri Ganganagar. It’s far away from a cricket hotspot. However, to come from there and then to focus on long-form cricket and consistently take wickets, Duleep Trophy, India A, then India, and a Player of the Match performance in his first match itself,” said Chopra.
Though Suthar has shown glimpses of his skills and brilliance, comparisons with Jadeja are still wide of the mark for someone who has played only two Tests for India in his career so far. However, he has all the qualities required to become a successful all-rounder for India in the longest format.
