India begin their home season against Afghanistan in a one-off Test at Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, with more at stake than just a victory. Still recovering from a humiliating 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa last year, the hosts view this contest as an opportunity to settle key positions before the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August.
Experiment Mode for India
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill have two major questions to address: establishing a long-term No. 3 batter and identifying a potential successor to Ravindra Jadeja in red-ball cricket. Gambhir has made it clear that Sai Sudharsan will be given an extended run despite competition from Devdutt Padikkal. The team management believes the left-hander deserves a fair opportunity to establish himself at No. 3.
Jadeja's absence has opened the door for contenders Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey. Suthar's classical left-arm spin and ability to extract drift have impressed during net sessions, while Dubey's batting ability offers added flexibility. The choice between them could reveal the management's preferred balance and long-term thinking.
Afghanistan's Challenge
Afghanistan enter the contest with little pressure and plenty of motivation. Since their inaugural Test against India in 2018, where they were dismissed inside two days, they have played only 11 more Tests, compared to India's 67. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah are among the few survivors from that first encounter. The disparity in experience is stark: Afghanistan's entire batting lineup boasts a combined total of nine Test centuries, while this new-look Indian side has accumulated 39 hundreds.
Shahidi's men prepared with a camp in Jalalabad, but practice sessions can only simulate so much. Nevertheless, Afghanistan have shown in recent years that they are capable of competing with established teams and will be eager to prove that their Test journey has progressed significantly since the painful defeat in Bengaluru.
Heat Adds Another Challenge
Apart from the cricketing contest, both teams will have to cope with the unforgiving North Indian summer. The timing of the match, coming in June immediately after two months of IPL action and a month-long white-ball tour of the United Kingdom, has raised questions about player workload and scheduling. The scorching heat has already forced teams to modify their routines, with Indian players preferring SUVs for short distances to avoid walking under the harsh afternoon sun.
Squads
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal.
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Bilal Sami, Qais Ahmed, Mohammed Saleem, Ziaur Rahman.
Looking Ahead
For India, this Test is about identifying combinations, assessing future options, and building momentum before more demanding assignments await. For Afghanistan, it presents another opportunity to measure their progress against one of the game's traditional powerhouses and show that they are capable of extending the contest far beyond what happened eight years ago.
