Indian all-rounder Manav Suthar said he takes Test cricket seriously and focuses on improving his skills every day after he produced a sensational match-winning performance, claiming his maiden 10-wicket haul in just his second Test as India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the opening Test at Galle on Wednesday.
Chasing 372 for victory, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 206 on a deteriorating fifth-day surface, with Suthar finishing with figures of 6/55 in the second innings. His effort followed a four-wicket haul in Sri Lanka’s first innings, giving him 10 wickets in the match.
In a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Instagram, Suthar said he takes Test cricket seriously and focuses on daily improvement, adding that he trained extensively with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan game to adapt quickly to the conditions.
Notably, Suthar made his Test debut in the India vs Afghanistan Test at New Chandigarh in June, where he claimed seven wickets in the match to win the Player of the Match award on his debut.
“I take Test cricket very seriously. My focus is always on improving day by day whenever I go to practice. I practice my skills as much as I can; that is my main focus. After the Afghanistan game, my main goal was to adapt as quickly as possible. For example, the match was with the Kookaburra ball. So I practiced a lot with the Kookaburra ball in the nets at home to get as tuned into the game as possible; that was the focus,” he said.
Manav Suthar credited India’s victory to disciplined and patient bowling, saying he, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav focused on consistently hitting the right areas. He added that winning the series opener provides valuable momentum and confidence for the team.
“There is no special secret; luckily, the most important thing is that we won the match. That is the most important thing, so I am very happy about it. And I am also very glad that I was able to contribute to the team’s victory, so it feels really good. Hundred percent, we were talking about how patiently we needed to bowl, because we knew it could be a little difficult for new batsmen to play on this wicket. So Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) bhai, Kullu (Kuldeep Yadav) bhai, and I were talking about how if we patiently bowl in one specific area, the results will come automatically. It was just a matter of keeping our patience,” he said.
“It is very important because it gives you momentum when you start the series and find a good rhythm. You also gain momentum as a team, so it helps a lot. And winning gives everyone a lot of confidence, so I would just say it feels very good. Winning is the best thing. The most important thing is that we won the match, so there is no better feeling than that,” Suthar added.
