Manav Suthar bowling stats: India spinner stands out for turn and accuracy

Manav Suthar's first Test outing has provided India with an encouraging glimpse of what the left-arm spinner can offer, with his ability to combine sharp turn with disciplined lengths standing out ahead of his next bowling assignment.

Suthar extracted an average turn of 5.2 degrees in the opening match, the most among all bowlers. Sri Lanka's Keshara Nuwantha was next at 5.0 degrees, while India's Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav both averaged 4.8 degrees. Prabath Jayasuriya, meanwhile, managed 3.4 degrees.

But it was not simply the amount of turn that made Suthar effective. His accuracy was just as significant.

The spinner delivered 73.6% of his balls on a good length, the highest percentage among all bowlers in the match. That allowed him to consistently attack the stumps and keep Sri Lanka's batters under pressure while allowing the surface to work in his favour.

For a spinner, the combination of movement and control can be particularly difficult for batters to counter. Significant turn increases the margin for error for the batter, while a consistent good length limits opportunities to use the feet or attack from the crease.

Suthar's numbers from the first match therefore offer a useful indication of his bowling method. Rather than depending on occasional sharp deliveries, he was able to repeatedly land the ball in the right areas and extract more turn than anyone else on the surface.

With his next bowling opportunity approaching, India will hope Suthar can reproduce that combination of 5.2-degree average turn and 73.6% good-length deliveries and build on an encouraging first Test.