Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar registered his name in the record books by taking five wickets in his very first Test match against Afghanistan. The 23-year-old left-arm spinner achieved the memorable feat on day three (Monday, June 8) at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
The Rajasthan spinner impressed with his control and discipline in Afghanistan’s first innings of the ongoing match. After taking three wickets on Sunday, Suthar took two more wickets on Monday. He dismissed Sharafuddin Ashraf and then bowled Rahmat Shah to complete his first five-for in Test cricket.
Manav Suthar recorded historic figures on Test debut
Suthar finished with excellent figures of 6/33 in the first innings, the second best bowling figures recorded by an Indian on Test debut. He also became the 10th Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul on his debut Test match.
In world cricket, only 174 players have taken a five-wicket haul on Test debut. Spinners have taken five wickets in seven of India’s 10 debut matches. After his stellar performance in the first innings, Suthar will be expected to play a more important role in Afghanistan’s second innings.
Who is Manav Suthar?
Manav Suthar is a left-arm spinner from Rajasthan who has risen rapidly in Indian cricket. Born on 3 August 2002 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, Suthar developed a reputation for his control, accuracy and ability to bowl long spells in red-ball cricket from a young age.
He made his mark in domestic cricket during the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy season and finished as Rajasthan’s highest wicket-taker with 39 wickets. His consistent performances helped him become one of the most promising spin bowlers in the domestic circuit.
Suthar’s success earned him a place in the India A setup, where he continued to impress. He was the second-highest wicket-taker at the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, putting himself on the radar of the national selectors.
How did Manav Suthar debut in India?
Manav Suthar was called up to India after consistent good performances in domestic and India A cricket. The left-arm spinner impressed against Australia A in an informal series, where he took eight wickets and demonstrated his ability to trouble quality batsmen.
Before his Test debut, Suthar had taken 129 wickets in 29 first-class matches. His consistency over several seasons made him one of the leading candidates for specialist spinner status.
This young player also gained valuable experience from Gujarat Titans team in IPL. Although he is primarily known for his red-ball skills, working with international stars helped him further develop his game and prepared him for the step up to international cricket.
List of records made by Manav Suthar
Manav Suthar made an immediate impact on Test debut by returning figures of 6/33 against Afghanistan. This is the second best bowling figures by an Indian on Test debut, behind Narendra Hirwani’s 8/61 against West Indies in 1988.
The Rajasthan spinner also became only the 10th Indian bowler to take five wickets on Test debut. His figures of 6/33 put him ahead of several Indian greats including Ravichandran Ashwin (6/47) and Syed Abid Ali (6/55) in the list of best bowling performances by Indians on debut.
Suthar became only the second Indian bowler in the last 35 years to claim a six-wicket haul on Test debut. The only other Indian to achieve the feat during that period was Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 6 for 47 against the West Indies in 2011.
Exceptional bowling performance by Indians on Test debut
| player | statistics | Oppose | venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narendra Hirwani | 8/61 | west indies | Chennai | 1988 |
| human improvement | 6/33 | afghanistan | New Chandigarh | 2026 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 6/47 | west indies | Delhi | 2011 |
| Syed Abid Ali | 6/55 | Australia | adelaide | 1967 |
| Dilip Doshi | 6/103 | Australia | Chennai | 1979 |
Indian who took five wickets in test debut
| player | statistics | Oppose | venue | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Nisar | 5/93 | England | Lord’s | June 25, 1932 |
| Vaman Kumar | 5/64 | Pakistan | Firoz Shah Kotla | 8 February 1961 |
| Syed Abid Ali | 6/55 | Australia | adelaide oval | 23 December 1967 |
| Dilip Doshi | 6/103 | Australia | Madras Cricket Club Ground | 11 September 1979 |
| Narendra Hirwani | 8/61 | west indies | MA Chidambaram Stadium | 11 January 1988 |
| Amit Mishra | 5/71 | Australia | PCA Stadium | 17 October 2008 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 6/47 | west indies | Firoz Shah Kotla | 6 November 2011 |
| Mohammed Shami | 5/47 | west indies | Eden Gardens | 8 November 2013 |
| Akshar Patel | 5/60 | England | MA Chidambaram Stadium | 13 February 2021 |
| human improvement | 6/33 | afghanistan | PCA Stadium | 8 June 2026 |
statistics of human improvement
Manav Suthar set an impressive domestic record before earning an Indian Test cap. The left-arm spinner has consistently performed well in first-class, List A and T20 cricket and has established himself as one of the most promising bowlers from Rajasthan.
The table below shows Manav Suthar’s career bowling figures before his memorable Test debut against Afghanistan at Mullanpur, where he returned excellent figures of 6/33.
| Format | Matchbox | Turn | Wicket | best bowling | economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first class | 29 | 48 | 129 | 6/33 | 2.80 |
| list a | 25 | 25 | 34 | 3/21 | 4.60 |
| t-20 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 3/15 | 7.10 |
Reactions to the first presentation of Manav Suthar
Manav Suthar’s remarkable spell on Test debut earned praise from many former cricketers and experts. Former India batsman Dodda Ganesh lauded the youngster’s achievement, writing, “A half-century on debut for Manav Suthar. What a start to his Test career.”
India great Ravichandran Ashwin also congratulated the left-arm spinner after taking six wickets. Supporting the youngster after his memorable performance against Afghanistan, Ashwin posted, “Manav Suthar All the best for his wonderful career.”
The former cricketer and commentator was particularly impressed by Suthar’s traditional spin-bowling skills. Veteran commentator Jatin Sapru praised his ability to generate turn, drift and accuracy, noting that the 23-year-old has all the qualities required to succeed in Test cricket over a long period of time.
He became the second Indian bowler in this century after Ashwin to take six wickets on Test debut. His performance has strengthened the belief that India has another promising spin-bowling talent ready for the international stage.
Manav Suthar took 6/33 on his Test debut.
– Only the second Indian after Ravi Ashwin to take six wickets on Test debut in this century. pic.twitter.com/apb6kC02Pa
– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 8, 2026
A Pfeiffer on debut for human betterment. What a start to his test career #INDvAFG
— Dodda Ganesh दोद्दा गानेश (@doddaganesha) June 8, 2026
Manav Suthor, remember the name! Someone who is here to stay.
A dream test debut with 6 wickets and a historic success in his very first over. Calm under pressure, quick with the ball, and showing why India’s spin future looks bright. The journey has just begun.
– Nitin K Srivastava (@Nitin_sachin) June 8, 2026
Dream Test Debut: Manav Suthar took his first 5 wickets. He is the fifth Indian to do so – Hope got 10 points in the match
– Vikrant Gupta (@vikrankupta73) June 8, 2026
Pure test cricket spin bowling. There’s no ignoring the fact that this is against Afghanistan – Test batting is not their strongest suit. But, revs, turns, drift, accuracy – Manav Suthar has all the tools in his shed to perform well in this format for a long time.
– Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) June 8, 2026
human improvement
Best wishes for a wonderful career.#indvafg
– Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) June 8, 2026
Also read: Shane Watson wants one specialty in his game from Vaibhav Suryavanshi
