Cricket fans across South Asia turned their attention to New Chandigarh on Saturday, as the only Test match between India and Afghanistan got underway with a pre-match coin toss that set the tone for day one. After winning the toss, India’s captain Shubman Gill made the call to send his side in to bat first against the Afghan side, a decision shaped by pitch conditions and match strategy.
This historic fixture marks just the second time India and Afghanistan have faced off in the five-day Test format of international cricket. Their first encounter came back in 2018, when India hosted Afghanistan for the nation’s maiden Test match in Bengaluru. In that match, the Indian side claimed a dominant victory by an innings and 262 runs, setting a high bar for Saturday’s rematch.
For Afghanistan, this fixture is only their 13th Test match in the nation’s young history as a Test-playing country. Unlike many top-tier bilateral Test series, no points will be awarded to either side from this game toward the ongoing ICC World Test Championship standings, meaning the match will serve more as a developmental and competitive opportunity for the growing Afghan side than a ranking contest.
Heading into the match, India enters coming off a disappointing 2-0 home series loss to South Africa back in November, leaving the side looking for a confidence-boosting performance to reset their domestic Test campaign. To address their bowling needs, Gill’s side has opted for a balanced attack featuring two fast bowlers: Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj. The spin department brings four total wicket-taking options, highlighted by the Test debut of 23-year-old left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. Veteran left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Washington Sundar round out India’s four spin options.
On the Afghan side, led by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, the team’s selection strategy leaned heavily into spin, with three specialist spinners named in the starting XI. The side also celebrates a debut of their own: 22-year-old left-arm spin all-rounder Nangeyalia Kharote will earn his first Test cap for Afghanistan in the fixture.
Local ground staff and cricket analysts expect the New Chandigarh pitch to favor batters in the opening days of the match, with spin gradually becoming a more decisive factor as the match wears on and the surface wears in.
Full Starting Lineups:
India: Lokesh Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem