The twenty four year old slow bowler from Rajasthan became the first spinner and only the second Indian cricketer in history to claim a five wicket haul in both his maiden home Test and his debut away Test. Young spinner Manav Suthar etched his name into cricket record books on Wednesday, August 19, by matching a milestone set 93 years ago.
Entering Elite Bowling Lists in Sri Lanka By securing six wickets during the second innings in Galle, Suthar also entered an exclusive club alongside Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh. He is only the third Indian to capture a six wicket haul in a single Test innings on Sri Lankan soil, following the footsteps of Harbhajan and Ashwin. Debut Matches And Milestone Wickets Suthar officially began his red ball career on June 6, 2026, facing Afghanistan in Mullanpur, where he grabbed six scalps during the opening innings. He subsequently traveled to Sri Lanka for his first overseas Test fixture, held in Galle from August 15 to 19, securing ten dismissals across the contest. During that match, he produced figures of 4 for 76 in the first essay before dismantling the opposition batting lineup with 6 for 55 in the second innings. Replicating Mohammad Nisar’s 93 Year Old Feat Prior to Suthar achieving this feat, only Mohammad Nisar had managed to record a five wicket haul in each of his first home and away Test appearances for the national side. Nisar, who represented India across six Tests total, earned his maiden cap against England at Lord on June 25, 1932, returning figures of 5 for 90 during the first innings to become the inaugural Indian bowler to take a five wicket haul in international red ball competition. Nisar later played his first home Test against England in Mumbai starting December 15, 1933, capturing 5 for 90 in the opening innings. Across the past 94 years, numerous players have taken five wicket hauls in either home or away debuts, but solely Nisar and Suthar have accomplished the double. Furthermore, Suthar finished the encounter with match figures of 10 for 131 across 54.2 overs, establishing a brand new benchmark for the finest bowling figures recorded by an Indian player in a Test match played in Sri Lanka. He surpassed the previous record held by Harbhajan, who collected 10 wickets for 153 runs at Galle in July and August of 2008.
