‘I can't describe how it felt’: Manav Suthar’s father on son’s proud test debut vs Afghanistan

Mullanpur: Jagdish Suthar, a retired Physical Education instructor hailing from the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, journeyed to Mullanpur alongside his family to witness his eldest child, Manav, make his Test debut for the Indian national cricket team. However, the father departed for home on Sunday without observing his son's on-field performance during the second day of the match against Afghanistan.

The younger Suthar delivered a stellar debut performance, stymying the Afghan batting lineup to conclude with bowling figures of 3 for 21 across 15.5 overs.

"Yes, me, my wife and my daughter, Mansi (Manav's younger sister), had come to watch his debut. I can't describe how it felt seeing him get the Test Cap yesterday. However, today we had come back home as we were all nervous and a bit superstitious watching him live in action from the stadium," the soft-spoken Jagdish Suthar told PTI during an exclusive interaction on the second day of the Test.

A man of few words, the elder Suthar was highly reluctant to claim credit for his son's cricketing accomplishments, which have now culminated in the honour of wearing the national team colours.

"It is completely Manav's hard work and the hours that he has 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 learnt all his cricket under him," Suthar senior said.

When questioned about the exact moment he recognised his son's sporting talent, the father explained that it was not a sudden realisation.

"Like every other child, he was also 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 the sport and enjoy. When he was around 10 to 11 years old, I had enrolled him in Dheeraj Sir's academy. After that, I just told him, "Tujhe jo accha lage, tu kar, mera support humesha tere saath rahega (Whatever you feel like pursuing, do it, and I will give you my full support," Jagdish added.

When asked whether he harboured anxieties regarding his son's academic path, the father answered in the negative.

"Cricket was his focus, but he has also completed his graduation," he informed.

The father noted that the debutant is highly reserved and rarely discusses the sport within the household.

"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 had dominated world cricket during his time," he concluded.

With inputs from PTI