NEW DELHI: With Test whites to his name and spikes neatly tucked away in his room, Manusuther was ready for the biggest day of his cricketing career. Just an hour before his Test debut, he picked up the phone and called his coach Dheeraj Sharma, who was waiting for his student’s call.“Sapna pura ho gaya sir. I will do my best,” Sattar told Dheeraj on the morning of his debut.Not wanting to keep it too long before the game, Dheeraj kept the conversation short. “Son, everything is fine, just the platform is big. Just keep that in mind. Play with your skills, that’s all, everything else will be fine.”Soon after, Suthar walked into the ground, received India Test cap number 319 from Kuldeep Yadav and was greeted with hugs and congratulations from teammates and support staff.And then a dream began. With the bat, he scored a brisk 28 in 41, including dancing to two maximum tracks.After India declared at 564/8, Sathar struck in his first over in Test cricket and then controlled the innings with great discipline.Sothar ended the second day with impressive figures of 3/21 in 15.5 overs as India tightened their grip on the contest.
Rahul Dravid advice of
Long before Sathar got his first India call-up and eventual India debut, he had already caught the eye of one of the biggest minds in the game: Rahul Dravid.According to his coach Dheeraj, Dravid was well aware of Soother’s all-round abilities, especially his batting, but repeatedly advised him to prioritize his bowling if he wanted to have a long-term future in the game.“He interacted regularly with Rahul Dravid. Dravid often mentored him during his India A and Under-19 days. He knew Manav’s abilities very well.He would tell him, ‘You can always manage with your batting, but focus on your bowling and maximize it as much as you can’,” Dheeraj told Timesofindia.com.
Manav Sathar with Coach Dheeraj Sharma (Special Arrangements)
While many young cricketers split their focus between formats, Sattar chose to invest heavily in red ball cricket.“In white-ball cricket, five players are ready to replace you. In Test cricket, the options are less. In white-ball cricket, if a player gets injured, there is an immediate replacement. The competition is very high,” explained the coach.“Manav has been training with the red ball for the last six to seven years. His main goal was clear: if he wanted to play for India, he would first have to become a strong Test cricketer.About six years ago, he made a conscious decision to focus on red ball cricket. Dheeraj added that most of the cricket he played was with the red ball, and his focus remained firmly on Test cricket.
Manav Sathar with Coach Dheeraj Sharma (Special Arrangements)
Sothar first made headlines during the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy season when he emerged as Rajasthan’s highest wicket-taker, taking 39 wickets in just six matches.His performance for India further strengthened his case. During the unofficial Test series against Australia A, Sattar was among the leading wicket-takers and took a memorable five-wicket haul, returning figures of 5/107.He also impressed during the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.In 29 first-class matches, Sothar took 129 wickets, while representing Rajasthan in 25 List A games and 29 T20Is.
Shabman Gul is backing.
Suthar’s rise has also been aided by the trust shown in him by Gujarat Titans captain Shibman Gill. The left-arm spinner was picked by the franchise for Rs 20 lakh. IPL Retained for 2024 auction and 2025 and 2026 seasons.According to the coach, Sattar spent countless hours bowling Gayle in the nets, and the captain also preferred to face him during practice sessions.
Manav Sothar (Photo by BCCI)
“Shubman has helped him a lot. He made sure Manav gave him a lot of balls in the net and always encouraged him. The biggest thing is mindset.“When you play with cricketers of that level, your thinking also starts working at that level, and that helps you perform better,” said Dheeraj.
Smart like Ravindra Jadeja
Sathar was just 14 years old when he first joined Dheeraj’s coaching setup at the SK Bahani Cricket Academy in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan.When the coach asked him what he wanted to be, the youngster’s answer was straightforward: ‘A batsman’.But after watching him closely in training sessions, Dheeraj realized there was something special about the youngster’s bowling.Even the coach patted himself down and asked Sattar to bowl. A few balls were enough to convince him that the youngster possessed rare qualities as a spinner.“If you want to play long, you have to pay more attention to bowling,” Dheeraj told him.“Initially, he saw himself primarily as a batsman, but I sensed his potential in bowling. Gradually, he realized that he could become even better as a bowler and started seriously working on his fundamentals,” recalled the coach.Dheeraj believes that Soother’s greatest strength is his intelligence as a bowler and the variety he possesses.“He is a very smart bowler and has great variety. He also bowls with good aggression. When situations offer help, he can get the ball back quickly.His seam movement and drifts are excellent. His arm ball is a big weapon, and both his topspinner and conventional spin delivery are very effective.”
The next Ravindra Jadeja?
With Ravindra Jadeja entering the final phase of his career and India constantly looking for the next generation of spin-bowling all-rounders, comparisons are inevitable.However, Dheeraj is wary of placing such expectations on her students.“People call him the Jadeja of Rajasthan. He still has a long way to go, but he has a lot of potential. Right now, red-ball cricket is his top priority,” signed off the coach.
