Manav Suthar Shines with Six Wickets on Test Debut Against Afghanistan

Suthar's Impressive Debut Performance

On the third day of the one-off Test match against India, Manav Suthar made a remarkable debut, claiming six wickets as Afghanistan was dismissed for a mere 152 runs.

Following India's decision to enforce the follow-on, Afghanistan struggled to reach 18 runs without losing a wicket at lunch, still needing 394 runs to avoid a humiliating innings defeat.

It was unfortunate that only around 500 spectators witnessed Suthar's historic achievement, as he became the 10th Indian cricketer to secure a five-wicket haul on debut, and the seventh spinner to do so in his first Test match.

His bowling figures in the first innings were an impressive 22 overs, 10 maidens, 33 runs, and 6 wickets, showcasing the immense pressure he applied on the inexperienced Afghan batsmen, who seemed unsettled against his bowling.

Suthar's skillful trajectory and ability to generate turn on a slow pitch hinted that it was only a matter of time before he achieved his five-wicket milestone.

For Afghanistan, veteran batsman Rahmat Shah was the standout performer, scoring 60 runs off 135 balls before falling to Suthar while attempting a slog sweep.

Rahmat and the injured Sharafuddin Ashraf, who scored 11 runs, managed to bat for nearly 11 overs after Prasidh Krishna dismissed Azmatullah Omarzai for a duck with a delivery clocked at 140 km/h.

Ashraf, visibly in pain from a suspected hamstring injury, struggled to run, leading Rahmat to decline easy singles that could have helped maintain the scoring rate.

Suthar claimed Ashraf as his fourth wicket, enticing him forward with a delivery that turned enough to edge into Rishabh Pant's gloves.

Rahmat, who became the first Afghan player to reach 1000 Test runs the previous day, struck nine fours and a six but consistently appeared uncomfortable against Suthar, who maintained a relentless line and length.