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Manav Suthar instantly became a worldwide name when he took 6 wickets in his first innings as a debutant Indian spinner against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. He took six wickets for only 33 runs and then took another wicket in the second innings.
While the selector’s decision to include Suthar in the Test team is questionable, the exclusion of the other spinner Axar Patel raises some questions. Former India opener Aakash Chopra explains whether the emergence of Manav Suthar could pose any threat to Axar Patel’s Test career.
Injustice with Akshar Patel?
While some cricket fans believe that injustice has been done to Axar Patel, Aakash Chopra believes that it is logical to include Manav Suthar in place of Patel. The former cricketer explains that selection depends not only on an individual’s statistics but also on the match conditions.
Chopra replied, “Whenever you see, it feels like Axar Patel has not been given justice. However, selection is not just about how good someone’s numbers are. To be honest, Jadeja and Axar have played together very few times and Axar has not got any opportunities at all outside India. Ravindra Jadeja goes there as your primary spinner.”
Aakash Chopra reveals differences between Akshar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja
Chopra further explained that despite sharing a similar profile of spin bowling all-rounder, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja have different attributes. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified that Ravindra Jadeja was not selected for the one-off Test as part of workload management.
As per the observation of the former cricketer turned cricket expert, Jadeja is more of a batting all-rounder than a typical spinner, and Patel needs assistance from the pitch to be effective.
“However, he plays more as a batsman and less as a spinner because he doesn’t take that many wickets. So that’s one thing that the Indian selectors and the team management have realised. I think they have also thought that you have to go beyond that. If you look at Axar’s bowling style, he needs help from the pitch to be effective. He just looks extremely prepared and effective for Indian conditions,” he said on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’.
Chopra praised Manav Suthar’s aggressive mentality
After watching Suthar wreak havoc against Afghanistan, Aakash Chopra sees him as an aggressive spinner who always plays up his hand whenever the team needs a wicket. Cricket experts also claim that Suthar can take wickets in any conditions, irrespective of the nature of the wicket.
“Manav Suthar is different. There is an eye test here, which means do you really trust your instincts and what you see. Looking at Manav Suthar, it looks like no matter how good the conditions are, he will not be a defensive option. He can play that role as well. He is very accurate, but he has the ability to take wickets,” he said.
“Whether you talk about drift, dip, or extra spin, he has it all. Very rarely do you get a finger spinner who is so effective. Once again, I am going with the selectors. Their thought process is not wrong. It seems like it is a bit unfair to Axar, but I think Manav Suthar is an exceptional kid,” he concluded.
