New Chandigarh: India dominated the one-off Test against Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Monday.
After electing to bat first, the hosts put in a brilliant display, with a series of brilliant centuries and half-centuries that decimated the Afghan bowling, declaring the first innings at 564-8.
The foundation of India’s innings was laid by several notable contributions from the top and middle order. Shubman Gill scored a fluent 126 off 177 balls with 15 fours and a six.
He was well supported by KL Rahul, who made his debut a classy century, scoring 100 off 165 balls with the help of 11 fours. Rishabh Pant scored 81 runs off 121 balls including 6 fours and 3 sixes.
Sai Sudarsan scored 81 off 104 balls with 13 fours while Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on 52 off 68 balls with 5 fours and a six.
Mohammad Saleem was the best bowler for Afghanistan with 6/140 in 27 overs. Ziaur Rahman and Hashmatullah Shahidi took one wicket each.
In reply, Afghanistan were bowled out for 152 runs in 58.4 overs and were bowled out for 412 runs in the first innings. India then enforced the follow-on, forcing the visitors to bat again in an attempt to avoid an innings defeat.
Afghanistan’s first innings lacked momentum as India’s disciplined bowling attack applied relentless pressure and struck at regular intervals.
Rahmat Shah was the lone bright spot for the visitors with a 135-ball 60 including nine fours and a six. Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 20 runs, Sedikullah Atal scored 17 runs and Abdul Malik scored 16 runs.
The rest of the batting line-up struggled against the Indian bowlers, with many batsmen falling to single-digit scores.
Indian debutant Manav Sudhar took 6/33 in 22 overs. Prasith Krishna took 3 wickets and Washington Sundar took one wicket.
Batting second, Afghanistan were again restricted to a modest score and bowled out for 112 in 35.5 overs, with neither batsman reaching a half-century.
Opener Sethigullah Atal scored 42 runs off 80 balls with 5 fours and a six, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 24 runs off 80 balls including 3 fours and a six.
Washington Sundar led India’s bowling in the second innings with 4 wickets in his 11 overs. Kuldeep Yadav took 3 wickets and Manav Sudhar, Mohammad Siraj and Prasid Krishna took one wicket each.