NEW CHANDIGARH: Manav Sathar is very easy to lose in the crowd. His extraordinary behavior on the cricket field does not understate how important he is to India’s plans to regain red ball supremacy. He is part of a red ball spin project carefully designed by the Indian Cricket Board.BCCI) in the last three years. Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!When he was named man of the match on his debut in the one-off Test against Afghanistan on Monday afternoon, Soother became a household name. That India registered an innings and 300-run win within three days – their biggest margin in Tests – felt almost secondary. An inexperienced Afghanistan team was never expected to push India here. For the captain Shabman Gul And the team management, this match was more about planning for the next nine months of Test cricket. Suddenly, the debate is about including him in the XI when India have all the spin resources at their disposal. Ravindra Jadeja coming back The team management, the selection committee and the coaching staff at the Center of Excellence (CoE) had seen enough on Saturday that he would be the next spinner to be included in the Test team for the foreseeable future. A spell of 6/33 before lunch to bowl Afghanistan out for 152 in the first innings was enough to show the world why he is so guarded by the caretakers of India’s talent pipeline. After Afghanistan asked the senior spinners to follow on, Sattar was given the new ball. Washington Sundar And Kuldeep Yadav is a decent spell. Washington and Kuldeep wrapped up the proceedings with figures of 4/36 and 3/30 respectively to bowl Afghanistan out for 112 in 35.5 overs. India bowled in 94.2 overs in the match, with Sothar unleashing his arsenal. He even produced a deadly arm ball to claim his only wicket of the second innings. Afghanistan’s batting may not match the quality of batsmen that Sattar bowls in domestic cricket. Still, it was important for him not to lose control of his craft. For large parts of the Test match, especially when the pitch offered minimal slow turn on day two, Soother emerged as a more potent option than Washington and Kuldeep. Jadeja’s bowling has worried the team management and selectors in the last two years. His consistent partnership with the bat in the middle order in England last year has given his career a lifeline. In the background, though, Indian cricket is preparing for life beyond Jadeja. “Manav has been part of the system for three years. The BCCI system gave him access to the India team coming out of the Ranji Trophy and then there was India ‘A’ and the IPL in between,” batting coach Sitanshu Kotick added after the Test: “He bowled well but he batted really well. It’s actually very satisfying.” This head coach is well established. Gautam Gambhir Dual skill players preferred! With consistent all-round performances, Washington has become an indispensable part of the Test XI. In the build-up to this Test, the team management announced that they are looking for a fourth spin option in addition to the regulars in Jadeja, Washington and Kuldeep. As things stand now, Kuldeep’s indifferent performances in the home season last year could also open up an opportunity for Sattar if India decide to play on a potentially turning track in Sri Lanka in August. Sathar has had a flood of overs in Indian conditions. India’s chances of qualifying for the finals of the World Test Championship could be extended to the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy when Australia tour in January. There are signs that India are reluctant to play on raging spinners where the batsmen have surrendered to spin attacks overseas twice in the last two years. The spinners’ strong return to good pitches in the last Test against South Africa in Guwahati last November has called for more strength in the spin attack. Sathar is a long-term project. It will be interesting to see how soon the Indian team management realizes that he is the first choice spinner in the XI.
