6 days ago

Why Colombo Mattered More Than Galle for Manav Suthar

Manav Suthar bowled very well in Galle because the pitch helped his spinning deliveries.

He took 10 wickets there as India won comfortably.

In Colombo, the pitch was slower and did not turn as much.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen attacked him instead of waiting for him to make mistakes.

Suthar had to bowl faster, slower, flatter and wider at different times.

He also had to focus on stopping runs when wickets were not coming.

Eventually, he dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and Sooriyabandara through careful planning.

His figures were expensive, but the spell taught him how to bowl patiently on a difficult pitch.

That experience could be more valuable for his future than the 10 wickets he took in Galle.

Key facts

Colombo figures: 2 wickets for 81 runs in 18 overs after Day 4.
Galle figures: 10 wickets in the match, helping India win by a big margin.
Pitch contrast: Galle provided drift and turn, while Colombo was slower and had not deteriorated much after three days of bowling.
Sri Lankan approach: Kamil Mishara and Sooriyabandara used sweeps and charges, while Sooriyabandara and Dhananjaya de Silva rotated the strike.
Suthar’s adjustments: He varied his pace from the low 80s to the mid-90s kph and changed his trajectory, angle and line.
Key dismissals: Dhananjaya de Silva was dismissed after an inside edge, while Sooriyabandara was stumped after charging at a slower, wider delivery.
Career-stage discrepancy: The article describes this as Suthar’s third Test but later refers to him as only two Tests into his career.

indianexpress.com · 6 days ago