The one-off Test cricket match between India and Afghanistan entered its second day at New Chandigarh’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, with India maintaining a dominant position despite a late morning surge from the Afghan bowling attack that claimed three Indian wickets in the opening session.
When the first session came to a close, India’s first innings total stood at 475 for six wickets, having extended their Day 1 score of 368 for three by 107 runs through the first morning of play. Afghan pace bowler Mohammad Saleem emerged as the standout performer for his side, picking up two additional key wickets to finish the session with an impressive four wickets for 109 runs.
On the opening day of the match, Indian captain Shubman Gill had combined with Lokesh Rahul – who notched up an unbeaten century – to post a solid partnership, with Gill also reaching a hundred himself ahead of the close of play. When play resumed on Sunday, Gill added 23 more runs to his overnight total before he edged a delivery behind to the wicketkeeper off Saleem’s bowling. The Indian skipper departed for a match-defining 126, an innings decorated with 15 boundaries and one six.
Gill’s wicket came after he shared a game-changing 169-run fourth wicket stand with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant that cemented India’s control of the contest. Pant went on to put on 36 quick runs with lower-order batter Dhruv Jurel, but the pair fell in the space of just six deliveries shortly before the lunch break. Saleem removed Jurel for 19 with a pinpoint delivery to claim his fourth wicket of the innings, while Pant was caught at the long boundary off skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi’s bowling for just eight.
At the first session break, all-rounder Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 14, with debutant spinner Manav Suthar yet to get going on nine not out. This fixture marks only the second time India and Afghanistan have faced off in Test match cricket. The pair first met in Bengaluru for Afghanistan’s historic maiden Test appearance, where the Indian side claimed a dominant victory by an innings and 262 runs. India had gotten off to a strong start from the get-go in this match, winning the pre-game coin toss and electing to bat first on a good batting pitch, finishing their first day of play well placed at 368 for three wickets.