Keshav Maharaj did not need the full Test match to be impressed. After seeing only a few clips online, he said India may already have found a real gem in Manav Suthar, a left-arm spinner who returned 4/71 and 6/55 against Sri Lanka in Galle.
That was enough for Maharaj to frame Suthar as more than a promising name on a scorecard. He said the young bowler had started his career on the right foot and praised his control and subtle variations, the sort of qualities that separate a useful spinner from one teams fear across long Test spells.
The numbers explain why the praise landed so quickly. Suthar has already taken 17 wickets in his first two games, and his latest match figures against Sri Lanka made him hard to ignore. In an era when India keep searching for the next left-arm spin option, a performance like that turns attention from curiosity into expectation.
Maharaj also knows the craft well enough to recognize it from a distance. He said he loves spin bowling and is always drawn to fellow left-arm spinners, putting himself only third among the group he compared with Prabath Jayasuriya and Ravindra Jadeja. In his view, Jadeja remains the benchmark, while Jayasuriya had already taken the baton after Rangana Herath.
That is what gives his judgment weight, even with the strange caveat that he had not watched much of the match itself. The praise came from highlights rather than a full viewing, which makes it less of a technical review than a strong early read. Still, the conclusion was blunt: India may one day ask Suthar to carry on when the greats step aside.
For now, the question is not whether Suthar has talent. He has already shown that in Test cricket. The real test is whether this burst becomes the start of a long run, because the first two games have given India a left-arm spinner worth watching and a higher standard to measure him against next time he bowls.
