Remember the last time India played a home Test without R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja? You would have to go all the way back to November 2010, when they faced New Zealand in Nagpur - before either had even made his Test debut.
With Ashwin now retired, Jadeja rested, and Axar Patel dropped for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, there is a rare opportunity for an India spinner to earn a Test cap. Remarkably, the last spinner to make his red-ball debut for India was Axar himself, back in 2021. On Saturday, either Vidarbha's Harsh Dubey or Rajasthan's Manav Suthar will join that select list.
In cricket, we often talk about "like-for-like" replacements, more so after the introduction of the concussion substitutes. But how similar can two players truly be? Even when batting and bowling styles and capabilities align, experience can make them look very different.
Take Jadeja and Axar in Test cricket, for example. Jadeja, a veteran of 89 Tests, is one of India's best-ever left-arm spinners and a formidable batter. Axar, though a left-arm spin-bowling allrounder like Jadeja, has played only 15 Tests so far, none of them outside the subcontinent.
Then there are Dubey and Suthar. At this stage of their careers, they are as alike as two cricketers can probably be. To start with, both are 23-year-old left-arm spin-bowling allrounders, born within 11 days of each other. Dubey has played 27 first-class matches; Suthar 29. Dubey has 133 wickets, Suthar 129. Dubey has scored 1026 runs at 25.65; Suthar 945 at 25.54. Oh, and both bat left-handed.
The similarities don't end just there. Growing up, both received strong support from their fathers. Both sharpened their bowling skills in Chennai, playing in the TNCA first-division league. And in both their journeys, Ashwin has played an important role.
It was Ashwin who facilitated Dubey's stint in the TNCA league, captained him there, and continues to stay in touch. For Suthar, the influence is a little more indirect. He considers Ashwin "the perfect idol" and meticulously studies his variations and crease usage.
Ashwin, for his part, has been effusive in Suthar's praise, particularly about the revs he imparts on the ball. Guess with whom Ashwin compared him?
Early in their careers, Dubey had arguably more potential with the bat. But Suthar has levelled up in the last few years and scored his maiden first-class hundred during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy.
Of course, there are some differences too. Suthar, being slightly taller, has a higher release point and often bowls around the wicket with a distinctive diagonal run-up, between the umpire and the stumps.
Anup Dave, Rajasthan's bowling coach and a former left-arm spinner himself, highlights Suthar's strengths. "In the nets, he does spot bowling for hours, which has helped him build accuracy and stamina," Dave told ESPNcricinfo. "On his day, he can run through a side, as he did against Chhattisgarh this season when he picked up eight wickets in an innings.
"And though he is a left-arm spinner, he is very effective against left-hand batters. He goes around the wicket against them, and angles away his arm ball to create catching opportunities at first slip."
Dubey, meanwhile, stands out for his ability to vary pace while maintaining his seam position - a skill that impressed Tom Moody during IPL 2025.
"One thing I have observed with him is when he changes his pace, he doesn't lose the integrity of the shape of the ball," Moody said on ESPNcricinfo Time Out. "He has still got overspin on the ball. Therefore, the ball then drops and really kicks off the surface."
Their peaks have come in different ways. Dubey enjoyed a spectacular 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, taking a record 69 wickets and scoring 476 runs with five fifties. Suthar has shone brighter for India A, taking 17 wickets in four games, including eight in a match against Australia A. Dubey has only six wickets in three matches for India A.
After this Afghanistan Test, India's next Test series is in Sri Lanka in August, where Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar are likely to be the top three spinners. Whoever makes his debut against Afghanistan will probably be their back-up.
"This is perhaps the only Test match where we can have a look at someone who could be our fourth spinner," India's head coach Gautam Gambhir said. "Because after this, we go to Sri Lanka and we might have to carry four spinners. So this is an ideal opportunity to try someone who could be a long-term option as well."
So who should it be on Saturday: Dubey or Suthar? Luckily, there are no wrong answers. Only that the one who misses out will have to wait a little longer for his chance.