Mullanpur: Shubman Gill and KL Rahul struck magnificent centuries as India dominated the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, finishing at a commanding 368/3 at stumps in New Chandigarh.
After losing an early wicket, India recovered through a solid partnership between KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan. Rahul looked composed throughout his innings and brought up a well-deserved century before being dismissed for 100. Young left-hander Sai Sudharsan also impressed with a fluent 81, narrowly missing out on a century but providing India with a strong platform.
Captain Shubman Gill then took charge of the innings with a classy unbeaten century. The Indian skipper remained not out on 103 at the close of play and, in the process, became the fastest Indian Test captain to complete 1,000 Test runs. Gill’s innings combined elegance and authority as he kept Afghanistan’s bowlers under constant pressure.
Rishabh Pant provided the late flourish with an aggressive unbeaten 50 off just 52 deliveries. The wicketkeeper-batter struck three sixes during his entertaining knock and stitched together an unbroken partnership with Gill that carried India beyond the 350-run mark.
Afghanistan’s inexperienced bowling attack struggled on a batting-friendly surface and found it difficult to contain India’s top order. Despite creating a few opportunities early in the day, the visitors failed to build sustained pressure as India’s batters capitalised on favourable conditions.
With seven wickets still in hand and two set batters at the crease, India will look to push for a massive first-innings total on Day 2. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will need early breakthroughs to prevent the hosts from tightening their grip on the contest.
