Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has insisted young spinner Manav Suthar preserve his strengths for Test cricket and not dilute his bowling for the lure of IPL cricket. This comes after Suthar picked his maiden ten-wicket haul in India’s win against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle.
With 17 wickets in his first two Test matches, Suthar has had an incredible start to his career. The 24-year-old's most recent effort was especially noteworthy; on Wednesday, India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle thanks to his 10 wickets.
Questions concerning his chances in white-ball cricket and the IPL will unavoidably arise as his reputation grows quickly. Suthar can play the shorter formats, according to Pujara, but he must maintain the traits that have made him so successful in Tests.
During the second innings in Galle, Pujara emphasized how Suthar modified his bowling. Suthar picked up his pace and started bowling closer to 90 km/h as the surface slowed down and the older ball provided less support.
“His pace changed in the second innings. The moment he realized that, when we are looking at his dismissals, the last three wickets that he picked, if you look at his pace, were a lot quicker. We realized that on a slow pitch, once the ball gets old, there’s not much help for the spinners.
The batters are having a slightly easier time in the game. That's why he changed his pace, and he was bowling at somewhere close to 90 kilometers an hour, which is not his strength,” Pujara said on Sony Sports.
Pujara was particularly impressed by Suthar's willingness to flight the ball and attack when conditions allowed.
“When you look at his bowling in the first innings and even while the ball was new, he was willing to flight the ball and put the ball in the right areas. The way he has bowled, I think India has found a proper left-arm spinner who will be there in the squad for a long time,” he added.
Pujara wants India to protect Suthar's red-ball development even if IPL opportunities come his way.
“Try and preserve him. We have had this discussion in the past: yes, all the young players might be wanting to play the shorter format, but India should be looking to preserve him for the Test format. Yes, he might want to play the IPL, but don't go there. I mean, yes, if he gets the opportunity to play the IPL, that's fine, but don't change your strength,” Pujara said.
Pujara made it clear that he had nothing against Suthar participating in the IPL as long as it didn't change his style of play.
“I think he doesn't need to change his bowling much. Just when it comes to white-ball cricket, you need to have that flatter trajectory, and I don't mind him playing in the IPL. If he plays in the IPL and he's successful in the IPL, that is fine, but don't change your strength.
For someone like Manav Suthar, who is flighting the ball and who is willing to go a little slower when it comes to red-ball cricket, you don't need to change that. Don't change yourself just for the IPL. I can understand, but don't change your natural ability, which is to flight the ball,” Pujara said.
The win came in India's 600th Test and gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The second Test begins in Colombo on August 23.
