Former Indian opening batter and commentator Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on the Indian left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, who scalped an impressive four-wicket haul in the first innings of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
While answering questions on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether Suthar has cemented his spot in the Indian Test team, especially in the Asian conditions; the former cricketer responded positively.
“I will say yes because he is a mighty guy. When he releases the ball, it drifts, bounces, and turns. He dismisses you while defending. When you can make the opposing batter lick dust while defending, and that too repeatedly, that tells you this guy has the might,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Furthermore, Chopra has also reckoned that Suthar is an upgraded version of the veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, stating that his batting would be pretty useful in the overseas conditions.
“Along with that, he also bats, which means you can keep him in mind even in overseas conditions. I am seeing him as a successor to Ravindra Jadeja because Jaddu will go at some stage, and you will need somebody like him. If I look at him purely as a bowler, I think he is Jadeja’s upgraded version,” he added.
Suthar went on to bowl 21.4 overs in the first innings, scalping four wickets after conceding 76 runs. Chopra further emphasized that the young spinner can be adjudged the player of the match if he picks a fifer in the second innings.
“He has already taken four wickets, and it is not beyond the realm of thought that if he takes five or six wickets in the second innings, he could become the Player of the Match of this Test match as well, because 20 wickets need to be taken to win this match, and to do that, whoever takes around 10 wickets is going to be the frontrunner,” Chopra concluded.
