In a remarkable start to his international career, India’s emerging left-arm spinner Manav Suthar etched his name into Indian cricket history on Wednesday becoming only the second Indian bowler after Narendra Hirwani to take a six-wicket haul in each of his first two Test matches.
Suthar, the 24-year-old Rajasthan all-rounder, produced a spellbinding performance on Day 5 of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium, returning second-innings figures of 6/55 to spin India to a commanding 165-run victory.
A Dream Start To Test Cricket For India
Manav Suthar’s international career has begun in fairytale fashion:
Test Debut vs Afghanistan (June 2026, Mohali)
Suthar burst onto the scene with 6/33 in the first innings, recording the second-best bowling figures by an Indian on Test debut, trailing only Narendra Hirwani’s iconic 8/61 against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988.
Suthar added one more wicket in the second innings for a match haul of seven, helping India enforce the follow-on and secure a massive innings-and-300-run victory – their largest by an innings margin. He was named Player of the Match.
Second Test vs Sri Lanka (August 2026, Galle)
Following up a solid 4/76 in Sri Lanka’s first innings, Suthar wreaked havoc on the final day, snaring 6/55 in 23.4 overs to dismantle the hosts for 206.
Joining Elite Company
Alongside matching Hirwani’s 38-year-old record, Suthar’s match figures of 10/131 in Galle unlocked several major milestones:
Youngest Indian To Take A 10-Wicket Away Haul: At 24 years and 16 days, Suthar eclipsed the previous record, becoming the youngest Indian ever to claim a 10-wicket match haul in an overseas Test.
Elite Club Of Away 10-Fers: He joins a revered list of Indian spinners to take a 10-wicket match haul away from home, featuring Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Rapid Double 5-Fers: Alongside Hirwani, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, and Axar Patel, Suthar is only the fourth Indian bowler to register a 10-wicket match haul within his first two Test appearances.
With 17 wickets from his first two matches, Suthar has quickly established himself as a key figure in India’s spin attack. His pinpoint control and drift in bowling along with his useful lower-order batting have given India a potent weapon as they head into the second Test in Colombo holding a 1-0 series lead.
