As India prepares for the series opener in Galle, captain Shubman Gill has signaled that Manav Suthar is the primary candidate to fill the team’s all-rounder void. With injuries sidelining Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar, the team has been forced to explore alternative options. While Saransh Jain was called up as a direct replacement for Sundar, Suthar appears to be the preferred choice for the third spinner and all-rounder position.
Addressing the media on the eve of the match, Gill emphasized Suthar’s dual-threat potential. “I think that’s where someone like Manav comes in,” Gill stated. “He’s got the ability with the bat. Of course, you need a bit of experience, you need some belief and confidence. And that will only come once you’re out there, you’re playing, you score some runs. And hopefully he does that in the series. He’s someone with a great skill with bowling. And he’s got the potential to be a really good number eight batsman as well.”
Suthar’s credentials as a batter are well-documented, boasting over 1,000 runs in 51 first-class innings, including a century. His ability to anchor an innings was recently demonstrated during the warm-up match against the SLC XI, where he faced 90 deliveries to score 41 runs—a duration surpassed only by Devdutt Padikkal and Ravindra Jadeja. Having made his Test debut against Afghanistan last month, Suthar remains a central figure in the team’s plans despite the presence of other left-arm spinners.
Beyond the all-rounder debate, Gill faces a challenging decision regarding the second pacer to partner the attack. The competition is between the tall Gurnoor Brar and the experienced Prasidh Krishna. Brar, who impressed during an optional training session under the guidance of Morne Morkel, recently claimed 10 wickets for India A at the same venue last month. Gill acknowledged Brar’s effectiveness with the old ball and his ability to generate extra bounce.
However, Krishna remains a strong contender, having featured in seven Tests and showing significant recent improvement. “They both are very skilled bowlers and they bowled really well in the practice match,” Gill noted. “We have seen how good Gurnoor is with the old ball when nothing is happening. You need that bit of extra pace, extra bounce. But I think Prasidh recently has been bowling the best that I have ever seen him bowl, in red ball and also in white ball. So it will be a very tough decision for us.”
Gill isn’t overselling Suthar’s batting abilities.
The Rajasthan all-rounder has a first-class century and 1000-plus runs in 51 innings.
Just last week, he showed he could also bat time – facing 90 deliveries for his 41 in the warm-up game against SLC XI.
The ground staff at Galle were bracing themselves for a spell of passing showers, making their way to the middle with a giant big blue cover for the pitch.
The sun was still out but the dark clouds were approaching.
Before they fully descended over the venue, Manav Suthar bowled on the side pitch and had Sairaj Bahutule looking over.
On match-day minus two, his training was more intense in the separate nets adjacent to the main ground.
But that was true for every member of the squad, as they hit the ground running for the first time before the series opener.
Suthar didn’t bat as the top-six occupied the three nets for majority of the time, but his dual ability is not lost on the India captain.
But that he remains firmly in conversation to continue his rise on this Sri Lankan tour, despite being another left-arm spinner like Jadeja, speaks to his abilities.
India’s approach under Gill and Gautam Gambhir has involved all-rounders in the Test line-up, even at home.
