MULLANPUR — Manav Suthar made his Test debut for India against Afghanistan in a one-off match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. The 23-year-old bowler took six wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul on Day 3.
India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first. India scored 564 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their first innings. Before the match began, Kuldeep Yadav presented Suthar with his Test cap.
Suthar bowls left-arm orthodox spin and bats in the lower order. He dismissed Abdul Malik in his opening over of the match. By the close of Day 2, Suthar had figures of three wickets for 34 runs, having also dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Afsar Zazai. Afghanistan reached 113 runs for the loss of five wickets at the close of Day 2.
On Day 3, Suthar took three additional wickets, finishing the innings with figures of six for 33 runs. He became the first Indian specialist spin-bowling all-rounder to achieve a five-wicket haul on Test debut since Axar Patel in 2021.
Former India captain and broadcaster Sunil Gavaskar discussed Suthar's performance. He said, "Manav Suthar has certainly made an impressive start to his Test career. What stood out was not just his bowling, but also the confidence he showed with the bat, particularly in the way he used his feet and looked comfortable at the crease." Gavaskar added, "With the ball, he was extremely accurate and consistently put the batters under pressure. There was some assistance available from the surface, which he utilised well, but the real test for any spinner comes on flatter pitches where greater variety and adaptability are required."
Suthar said, "I was in my room when my sister called me. Maybe she was watching the squad announcement event. She told me that my name had come up in the Indian team." He added, "You work hard for years, and then you finally get selected for India. It's the biggest feeling. You can't describe it in words."
Suthar represents Rajasthan in first-class cricket and finished as the leading wicket-taker for the team in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season with 39 wickets across six matches. Suthar also plays for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, where he made his debut in 2024, appearing in one match, and played in four matches during the 2026 season.
Jagdish Suthar, his father, said, "It is completely Manav's hard work and the hours that he has put into practice. He would leave home for training in the morning and return late in the evening. It is his credit and his childhood coach Dheeraj Sharma to whom we are all indebted." The retired physical education teacher from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, attended the first day of the match but returned home before Day 2.