Gill Backs Suthar, Padikkal As India’s Long-Term Stars

GALLE- Indian captain Shubman Gill lavished praise on young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal following their standout performances in India’s commanding 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening Test here on August 19.

Chasing a target of 372, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 206 on day five, with Suthar taking 6-55 to finish with a match haul of 10 for 126 and help India secure a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Padikkal, who came in at number three due to B Sai Sudharsan’s right foot injury, also made a major contribution, scoring 167 in the first innings and 44 in the second.

“He (Suthar) has been bowling magnificently, even in the first match that he played in India (vs Afghanistan), and in this match. He looks like a very promising guy and someone who can play for India for a very long time. He (Padikkal) was magnificent to watch.

“It’s important to get hundreds, but even after getting a hundred, how he carried on and got a big one for us, that’s the difference between being in a competitive match and being in a comfortable position. And his knock in the second innings as well, the way he played and the way he dominated the spinners was a treat to watch,” said Gill in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Quizzed on how special the win was, considering it was India’s 600th Test, Gill said, “It’s great. It’s really special to win the 600th Test match for your country. Yes, special indeed. A very satisfying win for us. I think we were in a comfortable position.

“But to be able to come here, not sure if the match is going to go because of the weather, we were put under a bit of pressure. But I think the team responded really well. That (playing in the World Test Championship final) is the ultimate goal. Test wins do not come easy and this one is delightful.”

Gill further felt India’s second-innings total of 193, after a collapse, was not a major concern.

“Honestly, not really. We were wanting to get around 400 in the third innings (when) we were batting. The wicket wasn’t easy to score runs at will.

“And we were looking to play a little bit more aggressively in the third innings because we wanted that many overs (in the final innings), and we were not sure how many overs we’d be able to bowl on Day 4 and 5. So, that was the thought process and in that process, we lost some early wickets. But I think overall we were still in a comfortable position.” (IANS)