IND vs AFG Live Score 2026: India's unusual batting combination and Afghanistan's disciplined bowling provided an intriguing openi...
IND vs AFG Live Score 2026: India's unusual batting combination and Afghanistan's disciplined bowling provided an intriguing opening session before KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan steered the hosts to 96/1 at lunch on the first day of the one-off Test in New Chandigarh.
India fielded six left-handed batters in the playing XI, only the third time they have done so, having previously featured the same number of southpaws in both Tests against South Africa last year. However, Afghanistan's seamers ensured the hosts had to work hard for their runs on a surface that offered little assistance to the bowlers.
Following Shubman Gill's decision to bat first, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul laid a solid foundation. Jaiswal set the tone with a boundary in the first over but was unable to convert his start into a bigger contribution. Mohammad Saleem Safi provided Afghanistan with the breakthrough on the final ball of the 12th over, inducing an edge behind from the left-hander, who made 24 from 32 balls.
Sai Sudharsan, entrusted with a longer rope at No. 3, made an assured start and joined Rahul in blunting the Afghanistan attack. The pair stitched together an unbeaten stand of 55 runs from 78 deliveries, frustrating the visitors after the early success.
At the break, Rahul was batting on 37 and Sudharsan on 32, with India comfortably placed at 96/1 after 25 overs. Saleem Safi's dismissal of Jaiswal remained Afghanistan's lone reward for an otherwise disciplined effort with the ball.
Playing XIs:
India XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Afghanistan XI: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai (w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi.
India fielded six left-handed batters in the playing XI, only the third time they have done so, having previously featured the same number of southpaws in both Tests against South Africa last year. However, Afghanistan's seamers ensured the hosts had to work hard for their runs on a surface that offered little assistance to the bowlers.
Following Shubman Gill's decision to bat first, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul laid a solid foundation. Jaiswal set the tone with a boundary in the first over but was unable to convert his start into a bigger contribution. Mohammad Saleem Safi provided Afghanistan with the breakthrough on the final ball of the 12th over, inducing an edge behind from the left-hander, who made 24 from 32 balls.
Sai Sudharsan, entrusted with a longer rope at No. 3, made an assured start and joined Rahul in blunting the Afghanistan attack. The pair stitched together an unbeaten stand of 55 runs from 78 deliveries, frustrating the visitors after the early success.
At the break, Rahul was batting on 37 and Sudharsan on 32, with India comfortably placed at 96/1 after 25 overs. Saleem Safi's dismissal of Jaiswal remained Afghanistan's lone reward for an otherwise disciplined effort with the ball.
Playing XIs:
India XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Afghanistan XI: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai (w), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi.