Manav Suthar Impresses in Galle with 74% Big-Turn Deliveries
In the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium, Manav Suthar had the most big-turn deliveries, with 74% of his balls spinning more than 4.5 degrees. The 24-year-old left-arm spinner bowled 4/76 in 21.4 overs to eliminate Sri Lanka for 284 in their first innings.
Suthar’s 74% big-turn rate stood out during the raid. Keshara Nuwantha of Sri Lanka has 60.4%, followed by Ravindra Jadeja at 58.2% and Kuldeep Yadav at 50%. Dhananjaya de Silva scored 12.5%, Sonal Dinusha 33.3%, and Prabath Jayasuriya 22.2%.
India currently leads by 178 runs after scoring 462 in the first innings. The Galle match takes place from August 15 to 19, 2026.
“I was practising with the Kookaburra ball following the Afghanistan Test. Suthar stated, “Our main focus was to get wickets in the first session, so my plan was pretty simple to bowl in good areas, right length, right speed, and the wicket here offers some bounce, which makes it mandatory to bowl at the right line.”
We did not gain any wickets in the second session, but we did get results in the third session. So, our goal was to continue bowling regularly in good regions. They (SL hitters Dinusha and Dickwella) rotated the strike well.
We needed to plan accordingly. So our aim was on creating opportunities by bowling stump to stump and determining the appropriate tempo on this wicket. It’s a great feeling to grab a wicket with the first ball. It gives you a lot of confidence during the game; I was also playing County cricket (for Warwickshire),” he explained.
Do you know how Suthar got four wickets and prepared?
Suthar removed Dinesh Chandimal with his first ball in Sri Lanka’s first innings. All four of his wickets came in the 4-5 metre length zone, where he delivered nearly half of his balls. He outlined the team’s bowling approach for each session. Suthar also voiced confidence in the first-ball wickets.
What did Sri Lanka’s lower-order resistance and Jadeja’s milestone mean for the game?
Jadeja took three wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings, bringing his Test wicket total to 350. Despite the Indian spinners’ efforts, Sri Lanka’s lower order put up 146 runs in the sixth wicket stand between Sonal Dinusha, who struck his first Test century, and Niroshan Dickwella, who scored 80.
Suthar expressed his desire to learn from Jadeja, stating, “I can learn a lot from him.” He makes excellent use of the bowling crease. His consistency when bowling at stumps is world class. So I’d like to learn from him that no matter what the batsman does. How long can I bowl from the stump? Can you have a fake shot? “So there’s a lot to learn from him,” Suthar explained.
