An outlier among left-arm orthodox spinners, Manav Suthar brings A-game against Australia A

Manav Suthar is a rare breed in modern cricket — a left-arm spinner who thrives on flight rather than speed. His deliveries dip late, tracing a parabola in the air and leaving batters second-guessing whether to commit forward or hang back. For Australia A’s Cooper Connolly, with little red-ball experience in India, that uncertainty proved costly. On the opening day of the second unofficial Test in Lucknow, he was caught in the loop and edged behind, undone by Suthar’s guile.

Playing his first competitive game since January 2025, Suthar ended up taking a five-wicket haul on his first day back, finishing with five for 107. Completing his haul in the first innings, the 23-year-old also reached a century of First-Class wickets in just 24 matches.

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“It’s a huge achievement. Everyone dreams of playing First-Class cricket — Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and India A. I am very happy,” Suthar said after the host defeated Australia A in the second four-day game to clinch the two-match series 1-0.

The Rajasthan bowler cherished the milestone, which came at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium. “When I came here to play for India Under-19, I picked a five-wicket haul against Afghanistan, so Ekana has been a lucky ground for me,” he said with a smile.

Suthar usually ambles in diagonally — a process he says comes naturally to him and allows him to put more body into the delivery. To counter his consistent lines and lengths, the visiting side resorted to sweeps and reverse sweeps.

“I thought their left-armer bowled in really good areas, hit the rough consistently, and forced us to play more aggressively to counter him,” Josh Philippe, who scored 212 runs in the series, said after the second game.

Understanding the intent, Suthar switched to bowling over the wicket even to right-handers — a tactic left-arm spinners rarely employ these days. “Bowling over the wicket to right-handers was a plan because there was rough outside off-stump, which made it difficult for them to play,” Suthar explained.

“Kl satisfied bhai and Dhruv (Jurel) were suggesting what ball to bowl on this pitch. The experience helps. They told me which lines to bowl and at what speed,” he added.

Across the two weeks, the temperatures in Lucknow soared despite rain forcing a draw in the first four-day contest. For the visitors, coping with heat and humidity was a challenge. Off-spinner Todd Murphy even remarked that holding the ball with sweaty hands was a test. But for the Sri Ganganagar-born tweaker, these are conditions he has thrived in since childhood.

“There the heat is similar — 45-50 degrees. I practice there, so it’s inbuilt. The fitness work we do throughout the year is for tough days like these. Recovery is crucial as well, so eating well and sleeping early is important,” Suthar said.

Since making his debut in the 2021-22 season for Rajasthan, Suthar’s skills have been widely appreciated, having picked 135 wickets across formats. He has been part of the India A side in both multi-day and one-day formats and earned an IPL contract in 2024 with the Gujarat Titans, where he constantly spoke to Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan about T20 bowling.

Travelling to countries like Australia and England for A tours has also been crucial for his growth. “In England, lengths are very important. Seamers get an advantage there, so length becomes crucial for spinners. The batters look to attack you more, so you need to adapt accordingly. It was a good experience with the Dukes ball as well,” Suthar said.

While bowling remains his forte, Suthar knows the modern game demands all-round skills. “I know batting is very important nowadays. I am working hard on it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t score here, but whenever I get an opportunity, I put in a lot of effort on my batting.”

That drive to improve, combined with his natural ability to dismiss batters on defence, is what makes him a spinner to watch. For now, the young left-armer is taking it step by step: “My focus is to play to the best of my ability wherever I get an opportunity, contribute well, and help the team win, irrespective of the format.”

Published on Sep 27, 2025