IND vs SL 1st Test | ‘I was practising with Kookaburra ball after Afghan Test’: Manav Suthar

Manav Suthar. Pic/PTI

[popcorn number="4-76" desc="Manav Suthar's figures in the first innings - the fourth-best for any Indian left-arm spinner in SL" class="Default"]

Manav Suthar on Monday gave another glimpse of his exceptional talent with a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in the first Test here, but the seeds of the left-arm spinner's success were sown in a pre-series stint at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.

Suthar trained for 10 days at the CoE with Kookaburra balls, with winds wafting across the open field, the training session mirrored the conditions at Galle.

"I was practising with the Kookaburra ball after the Afghanistan Test. So, my plan was pretty simple to bowl in good areas, right length, right speed as the wicket here offers some bounce too which makes it mandatory to bowl at the right line," said Suthar in the press conference.

Suthar's 4 for 76 kept the Lankans in check throughout the day, even when centurion Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella (80) resisted the Indian bowlers for the whole of the post-lunch session.

The fightback was unexpected as India had reduced the hosts to 99 for five at lunch. But the young spinner said the key was to remain patient and keep bowling in the right areas repeatedly in order to reap success.

"Our main focus was to get wickets in the first session. We didn't get wickets in the second session but we got results in the third session. Our focus was on bowling stump to stump and finding the right pace to bowl on this wicket," Suthar said.

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