Brief scores: India (368/3 in 85 ov) vs Afghanistan at stumps on Day 1. Gill (103*), Rahul (100)
IND VS AFG 1ST TEST DAY 1: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
When Afghanistan played their first Test against India in 2018, the match came to an end in two days. 12 Tests later, Afghanistan were given another dose of reality in red-ball cricket as KL Rahul’s hundred, and Shubman Gill’s 103 not out allowed India to post 368 for three at stumps in Mullanpur on Day one of the Only Test.
Sai Sudharsan made the most of his chance at No.3, scoring 81 runs as Rishabh Pant and Gill ensured that the hosts finished the day on top and piled on the pressure on Afghanistan. Hasmatullah Shahidi and his side were made to pay for some DRS calls and indisciplined bowling, with the Indian batters being given multiple chances to survive.
Mohammed Saleem picked up two wickets, and Ziaur Rahman got one, but there wasn’t a lot for the visitors to rejoice on a hot and tiring day in Mullanpur.
RAHUL RIDES HIS LUCK
India won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that Shahidi also said that he would have made. But the first hour of the match showed that Afghanistan bowlers were bowling with a purpose and a strict plan.
When it came to Yashasvi Jaiswal, they planned to cramp him for room and try to make him flick the ball on the leg side. For KL Rahul, the plan was to make him play on the front foot and on the off side. There was success for the visitors as Indian opener struggled to find rhythm, especially Rahul.
The Indian opener navigated through two maiden overs in the first five overs. Jaiswal presented the first chance for Afghanistan to capitalise and they fumbled it before a major howler from Shahidi.
In the 11th over, Rahul played a cut shot and the fielders and wicketkeeper seemed confident that there was an edge. Shahidi looked confused, while Rahul was playing along like a bad guy in a movie, saying that he had done nothing wrong.
Ultraedge revealed that there was indeed a nick, making the Afghan fielders crumble down to the ground.
Soon, they had a reason to cheer as Jaiswal returned to the pavilion, but Rahul was ready to make them pay.
He found company from Sai Sudharsan and both men were tasked with steadying the ship. Sudharsan was coming in after a weird end to his IPL campaign with a couple of hit wicket dismissals. In Test cricket, he was in a more rough spot as there were questions about him being the long-term No.3.
Once Gautam Gambhir decided to give him the long rope, Sudharsan seemed to look like a different player. The IPL 2026 run, where he scored 722 runs certainly helped, but he looked to be more confident with his batting.
He also received a reprieve in the 19th over when an edge went past the fielders. Sudharsan and Rahul ensured India went into the lunch break at 104.
Till that point, there was a bit of uneven bounce on the track with many deliveries keeping low. The spinners had a bit of help in the middle.
But the wicket started to flatten out in the second and third sessions. The signs of this were evident in the first over after the break as Rahul hit two boundaries to race into the forties.
Sudharsan got to his fifty with a hat-trick of boundaries and started to be the aggressor in the partnership. Rahul was more conservative with his approach while Sudharsan started to flex his muscles.
Once again, dropped chances continued to haunt Afghanistan as the wicketkeeper allowed a half chance to slip away. The southpaw looked to be set for a big score, getting a couple more boundaries.
But finally, Afghanistan got one to stick as the partnership between Rahul and Sudharsan came to an end at 131, but the damage was done.
GILL CONTINUES TO STAMP HIS AUTHORITY
It was evident that India missed Gill a lot during their series loss to South Africa. A neck spasm would dent his momentum. It would even affect him in the T20I format, which ended with his ouster from the T20 World Cup squad.
IPL 2026 was the perfect storm for the India captain as he scored 732 runs. It was just a few weeks ago in Mullanpur he scored a sensational hundred that got his side into the IPL final.
Gill started off with some delightful strokes and survived a leg before appeal against him. Right after the tea break, he started with a majestic six, and then a boundary off Omarzai.
Rahul was grinding the runs at this point, and a boundary helped him reach 97. A single and a double was enough for Rahul to get his century, but he fell the next ball.
Gill started to shift gears and hit a hat-trick of boundaries to get to his fifty and there was no looking back after that.
A boundary helped him to get to 1000 runs as captain, the second-fastest to do it after Sunil Gavaskar in 15 innings. Rishabh Pant announced his presence on the field with three sixes off Abu Malik as Afghanistan struggled to contain the flow of runs.
Gill and Pant started to make Afghan fielders just get worn down by their strokeplay and the heat as India quickly went past 350. Gill got to his hundred with a single.
This was his sixth century as captain, showing that he neither feels the pressure of captaincy or scoring runs at No.4. By the end of the final session, India got 159 runs from 35 overs in the final session and Pant got to his fifty as well.
AFGHANISTAN GIVEN A HARSH LESSON
Before the start of the game, Afghanistan coach said ICC should allow them to play more Tests. It allows them to grow and it was something that they need at this time. Afghanistan have performed well in other formats, beating some of the big names, but Test cricket continues to be a bit out syllabus.
There were multiple dropped and half chances that they should have held on and that could have left the hosts under the pump. The bowling plans looked to be all over the place at times and the body language took a battering in the heat in Mullanpur.
Abdul Malik bowled a total of four no balls and there two big chances that they dropped, which allowed Jaiswal and Sudharsan to get away. The biggest moment was the Rahul catch call, where Shahidi should have gone and take the referral.
It could have been a different story if he had gone ahead with it. Now, they will need a cold shower, a good sleep and a new set of plans for Day two. Else, this could also end up being a short match for them against India yet again.
– Ends
