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IND vs AFG One-Off Test: Who is Manav Suthar? Team India’s New Debutant Earns R Ashwin’s Backing After Dream Start in Mullanpur

By Samira Vishwas

IND vs AFG One-Off Test: It’s tough to be noticeable on a cricket pitch, but to do it under the gaze of a maestro of the modern era is the ultimate validation. That validation came for India’s latest Test debutant, Manav Suthar, even before he wore the pristine whites.

On June 6, 2026, the 23-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner from Rajasthan officially became India’s 319th Test cricketer when he was handed his cap by Kuldeep Yadav in the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. It was also a rare occurrence that India were playing a Test match on home soil without both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, something that has not happened in the last 15 years.

Manav Suthar Gets R Ashwin Backing

But Ashwin’s presence was still very much felt online. The legendary off-spinner had posted a screenshot of Suthar’s bowling figures back in April 2026 on social media.

“The reason why Manav Suthar is rated very highly is crystal clear in this picture,” Ashwin had tweeted. “It’s not just the angle of rotation or over spin, it’s also the speed at which it is rotating. He has a distinct advantage alongside Harsh Dubey in this regard.”

Manav Suthar’s Victims So Far

On Day 2, Suthar showed exactly what the spinner master was talking about. Captain Shubman Gill had thrown the young debutant into the attack just before tea and he struck on just his fourth ball. He had Afghanistan opener Abdul Malik caught at second slip off a top-edged sweep from Mohammed Siraj. Suthar joined the act in the final session, dismissing the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz, caught at second slip. His third victim was Afsar Zazai.

From claiming three wickets so far and maintaining an incredibly disciplined economy rate below 2 runs per over, Suthar’s dream start prompted an immediate reaction from India’s great. Ashwin quickly retweeted his original May post, adding a poetic caption:

“He makes his debut and continues to paint the canvas with the red ball.”

Who Is Manav Suthar?

Sriganganagar’s Suthar learnt the game playing street cricket before making his way into the domestic circuits in Rajasthan where he had scalped 39 wickets in a single season of the Ranji Trophy. He also broke a 12-year drought for his home state by becoming only the fifth cricketer from Rajasthan to play Test cricket. Suthar, with a first-class century under his belt, is widely considered to be a genuine all-round prospect for the future. He is already proving his elite backers right on the strength of his debut.

Debayan Bhattacharya

Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.

The post IND vs AFG One-Off Test: Who is Manav Suthar? Team India’s New Debutant Earns R Ashwin’s Backing After Dream Start in Mullanpur appeared first on NewsX.

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