India showcased dominance in the one-off Test against Afghanistan by declaring at 564/8 in 126 overs and restricting the visitors to 113/5 at stumps on day two. Debutant spinner Manav Suthar stood out with 3-21 in 15.5 overs, leaving Afghanistan trailing by 451 runs.
The Indian innings was led by Shubman Gill’s 126, KL Rahul’s century, Sai Sudharsan’s 81, and Rishabh Pant’s 81, supported by lower-order contributions that secured a healthy run-rate of 4.44. The hosts’ declaration came after Washington Sundar’s composed 52 not out, with Mohammed Siraj adding a quick 22 off 12 balls.
Afghanistan struggled in response, losing wickets early on to India’s bowling attack. Suthar’s controlled performance, along with contributions from Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, kept the pressure on Afghanistan’s batting lineup. By stumps, Rahmat Shah was the only stabilizing force for Afghanistan, reaching 43 not out.
India’s strong position was further solidified by Prasidh Krishna’s crucial wickets, trapping Hashmatullah Shahidi lbw and dismissing Afsar Zazai. With Afghanistan facing a challenging task to avoid the follow-on, the match remains in India’s favor.
