Rising left-arm spin prodigy Manav Suthar etched his name into the history books during India’s opening Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium, delivering a masterclass that dismantled the hosts. Playing only his second career Test match, the young bowler produced a magnificent performance to register the best bowling figures by any Indian bowler on Sri Lankan soil, eclipsing legendary names and anchoring his team to a resounding 165-run victory.
He also recorded the finest bowling match figures ever achieved by an Indian left-arm spinner outside of home conditions. Switching angles around the wicket, Suthar soon found the outside edge of Lahiru Kumara’s bat to complete his second five-wicket haul in as many Tests. Across 45.2 overs, Suthar wreaked havoc on the opposition batting lineup by claiming 10 wickets while conceding 131 runs. This remarkable feat eclipsed a longstanding national benchmark previously held by iconic former captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who famously captured 10 wickets for 194 runs against Australia at the notoriously fast WACA ground in Perth back in December 1977. Match Flow and Key Innings Coming to the match, India won and elected to bat first, knocks from Devdutt Padikkal (167 in 230 balls, with 15 fours and a six), KL Rahul (82 in 175 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Dhruv Jurel (51 in 68 balls, with four boundaries and a six) helped them reach 462. Prabath Jayasuriya (4/109) and Keshara Nuwantha (3/175) were among the top bowlers in the first innings. After Dinusha fell as the seventh wicket, it was all over for Sri Lanka as Suthar made Sri Lanka’s lower-order collapse like a pack of cards, bundling them out for 206 runs. Sri Lanka lost the Test by 165 runs. Suthar fittingly wrapped up the match in his subsequent over by breaching Keshara Nuwantha’s defense with a quicker arm ball, ending with second-innings figures of 6/55 and sealing a 1-0 lead for India in the series. Prasidh Krishna (2/16 in 10 overs) bowled an exceptional spell of pace, while Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja also got a wicket each. India is 1-0 up in the two-match Test series.
By achieving this milestone, Suthar also joined an elite club as only the third Indian bowler overall to claim a ten-wicket match haul in Sri Lanka. Suthar achieved this milestone during his side’s first Galle Test against Sri Lanka. Record-Breaking Figures Outshine Spin Greats Suthar finished the contest with remarkable match figures of 10/131, surpassing previous historic benchmarks set by legendary Indian spinners. His exceptional effort pushed past Harbhajan Singh’s famous 10/153 recorded at Galle in 2008, as well as Ravi Ashwin’s 10/160 achieved at the same venue in 2017. In the first innings, Suthar secured figures of 4/76, including the prized wicket of their most experienced batter Dinesh Chandimal. In the second innings, more carnage followed as after getting two early wickets, he packed Sri Lanka’s lower-order within just 10 balls, ending with figures of 6/55.
