'I take Test cricket very seriously' - Manav Suthar after Galle heroics

Manav Suthar claimed his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket during India's first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. The left-arm orthodox spinner took four wickets in the first innings and 6/55 in the second innings, finishing with combined figures of 10/131. India won the match by 165 runs on the fifth day, just minutes before heavy rain could have altered the outcome and given Sri Lanka a reprieve.

Suthar's performance came in only his second Test appearance. He had made his Test debut in June against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, where he claimed seven wickets and earned the Player of the Match award. At 24 years and 16 days old, he became the youngest Indian to achieve a 10-wicket haul on away soil.

"I take Test cricket very seriously. My focus is always on improving day by day whenever I go to practice. I practice my skills as much as I can; that is my main focus." Suthar said in a video posted on social media by BCCI.

"After the Afghanistan game, my main goal was to adapt as quickly as possible. For example, the match was with the Kookaburra ball. So I practiced a lot with the Kookaburra ball in the nets at home to get as tuned into the game as possible; that was the focus," he added.

Suthar is only the fourth Indian to claim a 10-wicket haul in just their second Test appearance. He joins Narendra Hirwani, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, and Axar Patel in this exclusive group. Hirwani remains the quickest to the milestone, picking up 16 wickets on debut against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988.

The historic milestone and peer group

The young spinner emphasised the importance of patience and teamwork in achieving the result at Galle. He spoke about his conversations with senior spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav during the match, highlighting how their collective approach shaped the bowling strategy.

"There is no special secret; luckily, the most important thing is that we won the match. That is the most important thing, so I am very happy about it. And I am also very glad that I was able to contribute to the team's victory, so it feels really good," Suthar said.

"Hundred percent, we were talking about how patiently we needed to bowl, because we knew it could be a little difficult for new batsmen to play on this wicket. So Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) bhai, Kullu (Kuldeep Yadav) bhai, and I were talking about how if we patiently bowl in one specific area, the results will come automatically. It was just a matter of keeping our patience," he added.

Patience and teamwork in the bowling attack

Suthar reflected on the significance of winning the opening match of the series and the momentum it provided to the team. Starting a series with a strong individual performance and a team victory created confidence for the matches ahead.

"It is very important because it gives you momentum when you start the series and find a good rhythm. You also gain momentum as a team, so it helps a lot. And winning gives everyone a lot of confidence, so I would just say it feels very good. Winning is the best thing. The most important thing is that we won the match, so there is no better feeling than that," Suthar said.

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India took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with this victory at Galle. The win also marked India's 600th Test match. Suthar now joins Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin amongst Indian spinners to pick up 10 wickets in a match against Sri Lanka.