Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian opener, was impressed with debutant Manav Suthar, who starred with the ball on day two of the ongoing one-off Test between India and Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, on June 7, 2026.

Suthar had first made 28 runs with the bat, as India declared for 564/8 in the first innings, on the back of centuries by KL Rahul and Shubman Gill and fifties by Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, and Washington Sundar.

Then Suthar struck in his first over in Test cricket, dismissing Abdul Malik, and finished the day with 3/21 as Afghanistan ended on 113/5 in the first innings at stumps.

According to Gavaskar, Manav Suthar's assurance with the bat, as well as the way he used his feet and appeared at ease at the crease, were what caught his attention in addition to his bowling.

“What stood out wasn’t just his bowling, but the confidence he showed with the bat as well, in the way he used his feet and looked comfortable at the crease. With the ball, he was accurate and put the batters under pressure," Gavaskar said while speaking on JioStar.

“There was some assistance available from the surface, which he utilised well, but the real test for any spinner comes on flatter pitches where greater variety and adaptability are required," Gavaskar added.  

He also lauded pacer Prasidh Krishna for adjusting to the nature of the wicket.

“Prasidh Krishna showed excellent awareness and adaptability in the way he approached his spell. As a pacer, the instinct is often to operate on a shorter length and use bounce to trouble batters, but he recognised the conditions and adjusted accordingly. By pitching the ball much fuller, he was able to generate movement back into the left-handers and create genuine wicket-taking opportunities," Gavaskar added.