India debutant Manav Suthar delivered a memorable performance against Afghanistan on the second day of the one-off Test in Mullanpur, but his family chose not to witness it from the stands due to nerves and superstition.
Family Returns Home Before Key Spell
According to PTI, Manav's father Jagdish Suthar, a retired Physical Education teacher from Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, had traveled to Mullanpur with his wife and daughter Mansi to watch the left-arm spinner receive his maiden Test cap. However, the family returned home before the second day's play began.
Manav repaid the faith shown in him by India's team management with an outstanding spell of 3/21 in 15.5 overs, leaving Afghanistan struggling in their first innings.
"Yes, me, my wife, and my daughter Mansi had come to watch his debut. I can't describe how it felt seeing him get the Test cap yesterday. However, today we came back home as we were all nervous and a bit superstitious watching him live from the stadium," Jagdish Suthar told PTI.
Father Credits Hard Work and Coach
Despite his son's rise to international cricket, Jagdish was unwilling to take credit, instead highlighting Manav's dedication and the role of his childhood coach Dheeraj Sharma.
"It is completely Manav's hard work and the hours he put into practice. He would leave home for training in the morning and return late in the evening. It is his credit and his childhood coach Dheeraj Sharma to whom we are all indebted. Manav learned all his cricket under him," Suthar senior said.
Reflecting on Manav's early years, Jagdish noted that cricket was simply a passion from a young age. "Like every other child, he was passionate about cricket. He would play with tennis and rubber ball when he was around six to seven years old. Since I was a PT teacher, I always encouraged my son to play and enjoy. When he was around 10 to 11, I enrolled him in Dheeraj sir's academy. After that, I told him, 'Whatever you feel like pursuing, do it, and I will give you my full support,'" Jagdish added.
Balance of Cricket and Education
When asked about balancing cricket with education, Jagdish said it was never an issue. "Cricket was his focus, but he also completed his graduation," he informed.
According to his father, Manav remains a quiet and reserved personality away from the game despite his growing reputation. "When he is at home, we hardly have conversations on cricket. He doesn't speak much. Yes, we know that he is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin and the way he dominated world cricket," he concluded.
The decision to leave early spared the family anxious moments, but back home they would have been delighted to learn that Manav enjoyed a dream second day, putting Afghanistan under immense pressure with a three-wicket haul on debut.
