In a short span of time, Manav Suthar has impressed in each of his three outings with three different balls in three different conditions.
The left-arm spinner made his Test debut against Afghanistan at Mullanpur in June with the SG ball, took five or more wickets against Sri Lanka at Galle in August with the Kookaburra, and starred for Warwickshire against Essex in a County Championship Division One match at Chelmsford in September with the Dukes ball.
Suthar on Monday said adapting quickly to different balls and conditions was crucial. “To adjust, I practise a little more with whichever ball is going to be used in the match. That is what I try to do,” he said.
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“I try to adapt not just to the ball, but to the conditions too. How the wicket is going to play, what the weather is like, how the wind is blowing, how much drift to expect – I try to see how quickly I can adapt to all of that,” he added.
It is often windy in New Zealand, and Suthar has been studying footage to better understand the conditions as part of his preparation for the India A tour. Asked whether he was studying the lengths to bowl, the pace through the air, or how the ball behaved off the surface, he said he was looking at “everything.”
The 24-year-old added that his experience of bowling with the Kookaburra in Sri Lanka would help him adjust more quickly in New Zealand.
“Absolutely. If you have already played with a particular ball, it takes you a little less time to adjust. That will definitely help,” he said.
Published on Oct 12, 2026
