India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan witnessed the emergence of a new hero as Manav Suthar announced himself on the international stage with a sensational all-round performance. The 23-year-old left-arm spinner from Rajasthan played a pivotal role in India’s historic innings-and-300-run victory, the biggest win in the country’s Test history.
Making his debut in the longest format, Suthar showcased remarkable control and maturity beyond his years. His match-winning display earned him the Player of the Match award, placing him in an exclusive club of Indian cricketers who achieved the feat on their Test debut.
A dream start to Manav Suthar’s Test career
Few cricketers get the opportunity to script a perfect debut, but Suthar came remarkably close. The young spinner ripped through Afghanistan’s batting lineup with his accuracy, variations and patience, becoming only the 10th Indian bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on Test debut. His figures of 6/33 were also the best by an Indian bowler on Test debut in nearly four decades. The youngster also contributed a useful 28 runs with the bat as India piled up a mammoth 564/8 declared.
Another spinner on the list is Ravichandran Ashwin, who won the Player of the Match award on his Test debut against the West Indies in Delhi in 2011. The off-spinner produced a superb all-round display, took 3 wickets and scored crucial 52 runs in the first innings and also picked up a match-defining 6/47 in the second innings, helping India secure a five-wicket victory.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma among notable names on the list
Shikhar Dhawan earned the Player of the Match award on his Test debut against Australia in 2013 after delivering a record-breaking innings. He set a new benchmark for the fastest century by a debutant in Test cricket, reaching 100 runs in just 85 balls. Dhawan went on to score a remarkable 187 runs from 174 deliveries, producing one of the most memorable debut performances in Test history.
Former India captain Rohit Sharma also enjoyed a dream start to his Test career against the West Indies in Kolkata in 2013. Walking in at a difficult stage, Rohit smashed a magnificent 177 runs in the first innings and followed it up with another fluent knock in the second innings as India registered a comfortable innings victory.
Yashasvi Jaiswal joined the list during India’s tour of the West Indies in 2023. The left-handed opener announced himself in style with a marathon innings of 171 runs on debut in Dominica, playing a pivotal role in India’s innings-and-141-run win.
Indians to win Player of the Match on men’s Test debut
- Pravin Amre vs South Africa, 1992
- RP Singh vs Pakistan, 2006
- Ravichandran Ashwin vs West Indies, 2011
- Shikhar Dhawan vs Australia, 2013
- Rohit Sharma vs West Indies, 2013
- Prithvi Shaw vs West Indies, 2018
- Shreyas Iyer vs New Zealand, 2021
- Yashasvi Jaiswal vs West Indies, 2023
- Manav Suthar vs Afghanistan, 2026
