India spin legend R Ashwin said that his long-time teammate Ravindra Jadeja is not the frontline attacking threat for the opposition batters anymore. That baton may have been passed in Galle this week when Jadeja’s fellow left-arm tweaker, Manav Suthar, became the youngest Indian bowler to 10 wickets in a Test away from home.

Suthar’s second-innings six-wicket haul ensured a comfortable 165-run win for India on Wednesday, with Jadeja comfortably anchoring the attack with four wickets in the game.

Ashwin explained how a 37-year-old Jadeja has transitioned from a lead attacking spinner to a solid middle-order bat who can bring experience with the ball.

“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,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin effused praise on the 24-year-old Suthar, who has risen in stature in the matter of only two Tests since his debut against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh in June. Suthar bagged a wicket with his first delivery in the Test and wrapped up the win with four wickets off his last seven deliveries.

“Manav Suthar, in the previous Test and this one as well, is putting his hands up and saying he also knows how to pick wickets. He was gauging what the batters might do and bowling accordingly. I feel as far as wicket-taking is concerned, there is no connection to how the ball comes off the hand. How you utilise it and set fields, that’s what matters. He has given a great account of his skills in the first two Tests. He is very important to India’s spin bowling stocks,” Ashwin said.

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While he credited India’s all-round performance, Ashwin said Suthar grabbed the spotlight with his match-winning spells.

“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,” added Ashwin.