New Chandigarh, June 7 (IANS) Former England spinner Graeme Swann showered praise on debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar after the youngster’s impressive three-wicket haul helped India tighten their grip on the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

Suthar produced figures of 3-21 in 15.5 overs on his first day in Test cricket as India reduced Afghanistan to 113/5 at stumps on Day Two after declaring their first innings at 564/8. The visitors still trail by 451 runs and face an uphill task to avoid the follow-on.

According to Swann, what stood out most was Suthar’s composure from the very beginning of his spell and his ability to make intelligent adjustments as conditions evolved.

“Manav Suthar’s performance was remarkable because from the very first ball of his Test career, he looked completely in control. For any debutant spinner, nerves are inevitable, but he immediately found the right areas, generated excellent revolutions on the ball, and extracted both dip and turn,” Swann told Jio Hotstar.

The former England off-spinner noted that Suthar’s awareness and tactical flexibility were key factors behind his success.

“What impressed me most was his ability to adapt as his spell progressed. Initially, he was attacking around the off-stump line, but he quickly recognised the amount of turn available and adjusted his line straighter, forcing the batters to play more often. His control of length throughout the spell was outstanding, and that tactical adjustment played a key role in creating wicket-taking opportunities,” he noted.

Suthar struck early by dismissing Abdul Malik before removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Afsar Zazai to cap a memorable debut outing. His disciplined spell, combined with support from Prasidh Krishna, who claimed 2-27, left Afghanistan struggling at the close.

Swann believes the wickets alone did not fully reflect the quality of Suthar’s performance.

“Beyond the wickets, it was the awareness, composure, and consistency he displayed that stood out. For a debut performance, it was an exceptional exhibition of spin bowling,” he added.

Earlier, India had strengthened their position through captain Shubman Gill’s 126, KL Rahul’s 100 and an unbeaten 52 from Washington Sundar before declaring at 564/8, setting up a dominant position in the contest.

–IANS

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