Table of Contents
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 another scalp in the second innings.
While the selector’s decision to include Suthar in the Test team hits the bullseye, the exclusion of the other spinner, Axar Patel, raises some questions. Aakash Chopra, the former India opener, explains whether the emergence of Manav Suthar can cause any threat to Axar Patel’s Test career.
Injustice to Axar Patel?
When some of the cricket fans believe that Axar Patel has been served an injustice, Aakash Chopra observes that Manav Suthar, in place of Patel, makes sense. The former cricketer explains that selections not only depend on an individual’s stats, but also on the conditions of a match.
“Whenever you see, it seems like justice hasn't been done with Axar Patel. However, selection is not just about how good someone's numbers are. Let's be very honest, Jadeja and Axar have played together very few times, and Axar hasn't had chances at all outside India. Ravindra Jadeja goes as your primary spinner there," Chopra responded.
Aakash Chopra points out the differences between Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja
Chopra further highlights that Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja possess different characteristics despite sharing a similar profile of a spin bowling all-rounder. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear that Ravindra Jadeja was not selected for the one-off Test as part of the workload management.
According to the former cricketer-turned-cricket expert’s observation, Jadeja is more like a batting all-rounder than a typical spinner, and Patel needs assistance from the pitch to be effective.
“However, he also plays more as a batter and less as a spinner because he doesn't pick up that many wickets. So that's one thing the Indian selectors and team management realized. I think they have also thought that you have to go beyond. If you see Axar's bowling style, he needs help from the pitch to be effective. He looks extremely ready and effective only for Indian conditions,” he said on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’.
Chopra praises Manav Suthar's aggressive mentality
After watching Suthar create havoc against Afghanistan, Aakash Chopra sees him as an attacking spinner who always raises his hand whenever the team needs a wicket. The cricket experts also claim that Suthar could take wickets under any circumstances, no matter the nature of the wicket.
“Manav Suthar is different. There is an eye Test here, which means do you actually trust your instincts and what you see. Looking at Manav Suthar, it seems like no matter how good the conditions are, he is not going to be a defensive option. He can play that role as well. He is very accurate, but he has wicket-taking ability," he said.
“Whether you talk about drift, dip, or extra spin, he has got that all. You very rarely get a finger spinner who is so effective. For one more time, I am going with the selectors. Their thought process is not wrong. It seems like it's a slight injustice with Axar, but I think Manav Suthar is an exceptional kid,” he concluded.
