NEW CHANDIGARH: India's commanding total of 368 for 3 at stumps on the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan suggested that the match was following an expected script. On Saturday, Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 103, while Rishabh Pant was not out on 50 at the close of play. KL Rahul also scored a century, reaching 100, and Sai Sudharsan contributed 81 on a seemingly benign track as a rookie Afghan attack wilted in extreme heat.
First Session Scrutiny
Yet, the first session cannot escape scrutiny. Both Indian openers, Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, received reprieves. Jaiswal was dropped at gully on 11, and Afghanistan did not opt for a review after Rahul appeared to edge on 16. After Jaiswal was caught behind for 24, strangled down the leg side, number three Sudharsan survived an early chance at first slip off left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote.
It was evident that the Indian top order could not quite shake off fatigue after turning up for the Test barely a week after the IPL final. The three seamers—Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Saleem Safi—consistently kept the ball in challenging areas outside off stump.
Switching Formats
Switching formats is never easy, and one could cut the Indian openers some slack for not being as dominant as expected. However, given their experience, such a scratchy start must be unsettling for their reputation. Captain Gill and former vice-captain Pant eventually played a flawless final session to restore normalcy.
Sai Battles Leg-Side Trap
On his debut tour of England last year, the English team exposed a weakness in Sudharsan's game. England skipper Ben Stokes laid a leg-side trap off the seamers from the outset, and Sudharsan often fell for it. Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi did not waste any time when Sudharsan walked out to bat. The trap was laid, and Sudharsan managed to survive by scoring heavily on the on-side. But that also resulted in some indecisive shots outside off stump. Sudharsan was put down at first slip before wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai eventually caught him off Saleem.
Brief scores: India 368/3 (S Gill 103*, KL Rahul 100, S Sudharsan 81, Saleem 2/67) vs Afghanistan.
