India set 372-run target for Sri Lanka to win the first Test in Galle.
Veteran India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja praised the young spinner Manav Suthar for his brilliant bowling show in the ongoing first Test in Galle against Sri Lanka. India had posted 462 runs thanks to Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 after opting to bat first.
Manav Suthar got to bowl on day three when Sri Lanka began their innings and bowled a brilliant delivery to Dinesh Chandimal. Chandimal was drawn into forward defence, and the ball kissed his bat’s edge, and Rishabh Pant completed a smart catch, giving Suthar a wicket on his first ball in the match.
Suthar finished with 4/76 as Sri Lanka managed 284 runs in their first innings, thanks to Sonal Dinusha’s tonne. On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja picked 3/57 and completed 350 wickets in Test cricket.
After the end of the day’s play, Suthar and Jadeja talked about left-arm spin bowling, and the veteran all-rounder praised Suthar for his performance.
“I saw you bowl for the first time in a Test match. The ball that was coming out of your hand was the very first one. Actually, it was a very high-quality ball (that dismissed Chandimal). As a left-arm spinner, I watch many things on TV.
But the live experience that I had, the first ball that came out of the hand and the revs on the ball – after seeing that, I felt that I got to see a proper left-arm spinner's dream ball,” Jadeja told Suthar in a video posted by the BCCI.
Suthar congratulated Jadeja on joining the elite list of bowlers with 350 Test scalps, making him one of the most successful spinners and all-rounders in Test history. According to Jadeja, he attempted to bowl more to left-handers from around the wicket and on the stumps after noticing the ball spinning from the front.
"My mindset was that when they were bowling in the first inning, I felt that the ball was spinning from the front as well. So, it was not so easy for the batsman that he could go and easily defend every ball. And like, on every spinner's ball, something or the other thing. Batters were getting beat up and down. It was turning. So, I was trying to put more of a stump line and bowl to the lefties from round the wicket," he said.
India made 193 in their second innings, taking a lead of 371 runs, and Sri Lanka will now lead 372 runs to win the Test and go 1-0 up. But only once has a team chased a total of 300-plus in Galle to win a Test; that was Pakistan, who chased 342 runs and won the game by 6 wickets in 2022.