Since his Test debut in December 2012, Ravindra Jadeja has played 89 of India’s 131 matches. At home in this period, he has appeared in 53 of 61 Tests. Injuries are to blame for the rare instances when the all-rounder has missed a home Test.

It is noteworthy, then, that Jadeja won’t be present at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium for the one-off Test against Afghanistan beginning on Saturday. Even though chief selector Ajit Agarkar has stated that the 37-year-old has been rested and remains India’s first-choice Test spinner, it is also apparent that the think-tank wants to examine the newer crop of left-arm tweakers in this format with an eye on the future.

Enter Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey. Both are 23-year-old left-arm spinners with a burgeoning body of work in domestic cricket behind them, but bring different attributes to the Test team. In Manav’s case, a call-up at the highest level has been on the horizon ever since he became a regular in the India-A set-up in 2024.

It is learnt that the decision-makers have been particularly impressed with Manav’s propensity to pick wickets on placid pitches. Loop, bounce and the ability to impart many revolutions on the ball are his defining characteristics as a bowler.

According to Rajasthan coach Anshu Jain, Manav belongs to the classical mould of left-arm spinners. “He can spin the ball in any conditions. That is his X-factor. His stock ball is very strong. He also has a good arm ball. He has the qualities of a complete left-arm spinner,” Jain told The Hindu.

Harsh, meanwhile, grabbed attention by scalping 69 wickets in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season for champion Vidarbha. His primary virtue is accuracy, and he lends all-round balance with his run-making capacity.

Regardless of who gets the nod among these two come Saturday, India’s search for a long-term successor to Jadeja has begun.