Chasing a daunting target of 372, the hosts were rattled by young spinner Manav Suthar , who claimed six wickets to complete a 10-wicket match haul. As a result, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 206, handing India a commanding 165-run win. Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin feels that spinner Ravindra Jadeja ‘s impact with the ball has diminished in recent times.
Ashwin made the remarks after India’s emphatic victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test of the two-match series in Galle on Wednesday.
Ashwin Highlights Jadeja’s Evolving Role Amid Team Victory
Ravindra Jadeja’s performance in the recent match included four wickets, but his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin emphasized that Jadeja’s contributions to the team have shifted significantly. Ashwin noted that Jadeja is now more valuable as a middle-order batter than as an aggressive spinner.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ashwin explained, “Jadeja and Suthar are completely different bowlers. Suthar’s strength is the ball rotation in his hands. Jadeja will bowl to the wickets and give you control with his stock balls. I feel Jadeja is not that attacking spinner anymore. He is a batter who will give experience with the ball and I feel he has transitioned to that role, which is not such a bad thing.”
Reflecting on India’s overall victory, Ashwin praised the team’s collective effort while singling out Manav Suthar for special recognition, noting that Suthar achieved his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Ashwin remarked, “433 is the average first-innings score at Galle. When India won the toss and put 450-plus on the board, everyone knew at that moment that it was going to be difficult for Sri Lanka. But I feel Sri Lanka played very well and gave a good fight for a young side. Devdutt Padikkal was incredible. Dhruv Jurel played well. Rishabh Pant played a superb knock in the second innings. Standard batting from KL Rahul. Manav Suthar was the highlight; everyone is going to talk about him.”
