India delivered a masterclass in the longest format, routing Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs to wrap up the one-off Test at Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium well within three days. The hosts secured the biggest innings victory in their Test history.
The hosts laid an insurmountable foundation by posting a colossal 564/8 before declaring. Local favorite and skipper Shubman Gill dazzled his home fans with a sublime 126. In doing so, he etched his name in the record books as the quickest as an India captain, measured in days, to amass 1,000 Test runs. Newly-minted vice-captain KL Rahul came up with a flawless century, maintaining his status as one of India’s most prolific red-ball run-scorers this year. Supporting the centurions were Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant, as both notched crucial 81-run knocks, perfectly executing the team management’s strategic directives.
With the World Test Championship points not in play in this fixture, India’s primary objective was to scout a reliable fourth spinner for their upcoming August tour of Sri Lanka. Debutant Manav Suthar seized the opportunity spectacularly. The left-arm orthodox spinner dismantled the Afghan batting line-up, claiming a brilliant 6/33 in the first innings. The spectacular effort made him only the tenth Indian to secure a five-wicket haul on debut, standing as the second-best maiden performance since Narendra Hirwani’s iconic 8/61 against the West Indies in 1988.
Facing a staggering deficit, the tourists managed just 152 in their first outing. Enforcing the follow-on, India’s bowling unit aggressively closed the game out, dismissing an overwhelmed Afghanistan for a mere 112.
Washington Sundar proved his immense value as an all-rounder. After contributing an unbeaten and tactically sound 52 with the willow, he extracted sharp turn and bounce from the drying surface to scalp 4/36 in the second innings. Kuldeep Yadav also found his rhythm late in the match, shaking off a quiet first innings to capture three crucial wickets in the second.
It was a grueling outing for the Afghan side, emphasising the steep learning curve they face in red-ball cricket. Their silver linings were sparse but notable: fast bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi heroically bagged a six-wicket haul against a punishing Indian batting line-up, while Rahmat Shah offered the lone display of batting resistance with a gritty first-innings 60.
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