New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Indian cricket team firmly seized control of the New Chandigarh Test against Afghanistan on Sunday, declaring their first innings at a massive 564 for 8 during the second session. The visitors navigated a brief opening spell before the interval, moving safely to 12 without loss with opening batsmen Abdul Malik and Sediqullah Atal holding the fort.
Leading the charge for the hosts, captain Shubman Gill top-scored with a commanding 126, while opening batsman KL Rahul laid the foundation with a precise 100. The momentum was sustained by fluent half-centuries from Rishabh Pant and Sai Sudharsan, who both departed on identical scores of 81. All-rounder Washington Sundar anchored the lower order with an unbeaten 52, supported by Kuldeep Yadav on 9.
Contributions from the rest of the lineup included a composed 28 from debutant Manav Suthar, 24 from Yashasvi Jaiswal, and 19 from Dhruv Jurel. Tail-ender Mohammed Siraj added a quick burst of energy to the tail by hitting 22 runs off a mere 12 balls. Afghanistan’s bowling effort was carried by Mohammad Saleem Safi, who claimed a commendable six-wicket haul, while Zia-ur-Rehman Sharifi and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi took one wicket each.
India had resumed their second morning from an overnight position of 368 for 3, with Gill on 103 and Pant on 50. The pair extended their fourth-wicket stand to a substantial 169 runs before Afghanistan struck. Gill added 23 runs to his tally before walking back, and Pant fell after adding 31 to his overnight score.
The departure of the Indian skipper temporarily dampened spirits across the stands at the New Chandigarh stadium. Thousands of local spectators had filled the ground anticipating a massive milestone from the hometown star. Despite the brief disappointment following Gill’s exit, the dominant first-innings total ensured the home crowd remained enthusiastic as India’s bowlers took over.
