IND vs AFG Live Score, One-Off Test Match Day 3: Afghanistan resume after lunch as India eye big win

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 19/0 (5.1 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Sediqullah Atal, No run.

Done with the first over after the break.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 19/0 (4.6 overs)

Manav Suthar to Abdul Malik, Fuller around middle and off, Abdul Malik gets right on top of the bounce and keeps it out.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 19/0 (4.5 overs)

Manav Suthar to Abdul Malik, Tossed up, around off, Abdul Malik blocks this off his front foot.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 19/0 (4.4 overs)

Manav Suthar to Abdul Malik, Quicker one, around off, Abdul Malik presses onto the front foot and blocks this back to the bowler.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 19/0 (4.3 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Fuller around off, Atal punches this past the left of he bowler for a single down to long on. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (4.2 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Manav comes around the stumps, bowls it full and on middle and leg, Atal rocks back again and keeps it out.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (4.1 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Manav starts the afternoon session with a length delivery, in line with the stumps. Sediqullah Atal rocks deep inside the crease and tucks this to short leg.

Welcome back for the afternoon session on Day 3. The two Afghan openers have made their way out to the centre and have been joined by the Indians. Manav Suthar will kickstart proceedings with the ball. Sediqullah Atal is on strike. A slip, a backward short leg and a forward short leg await. Here we go!

... DAY 3, SESSION 2 ...

A battle of patience - From India's perspective, the key will be to remain patient. On a surface like this, where there is enough assistance for the spinners, it can be tempting to go searching for wickets and drift away from the basics. Moreover, in the first innings, despite having a cushion of runs to work with, India were perhaps a touch too defensive at times, with the field spread out. Afghanistan have their backs firmly against the wall, but can they grind it out and offer the kind of stubborn resistance Rahmat Shah showed in the first innings? Or will India make early inroads and swiftly move towards wrapping up the contest? Do join us back at 12.10 pm IST (6.40 am GMT) to find out. Cheers!

Safely negotiated - A short passage of play before the break, and Afghanistan have negotiated it without any damage. The positive the visitors can take from those four overs was the approach of Sediqullah Atal, who looked far more proactive by using his feet against Manav Suthar. That should be the template Afghanistan need to follow if they are to counter India's spin challenge. They cannot afford to let the spinners settle into a rhythm and repeatedly hit the same areas.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (3.6 overs)

Kuldeep Yadav to Abdul Malik, Floated on off, Abdul Malik blocks this off his front foot. That will be LUNCH on Day 3.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (3.5 overs)

Kuldeep Yadav to Abdul Malik, Tossed up, on middle and leg, Malik flicks this to mid-wicket.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (3.4 overs)

Kuldeep Yadav to Abdul Malik, Fuller around off, Abdul Malik pushes this to mid off.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (3.3 overs)

Kuldeep Yadav to Abdul Malik, Full and on the pads, Abdul Malik clips this to short fine leg.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (3.2 overs)

Kuldeep Yadav to Abdul Malik, Wrong'un around off, Abdul rocks back and keeps it out.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (3.1 overs)

Kuldeep Yadav to Abdul Malik, Tossed up, down the leg side, Abdul Malik tucks this to backward square leg.

Kuldeep Yadav to bowl what should be the last over before the Lunch break.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (2.6 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Pushed through around off, Sediqullah Atal keeps it out.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 18/0 (2.5 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, FOUR! A brilliant lofted stroke by Atal for four. Flighted, around off, turning back into the batter, Atal jumps close to the pitch of the ball and lofts this over mid off for four. Atal's bat did tilt in his hands at the time of contact with the ball, but he had enough power to clear the fielder. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 14/0 (2.4 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Tossed up, around off, Manav drives this to covers.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 14/0 (2.3 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Much slower, and fuller, around off, turning back into the southpaw. Atal goes for the front foot block but misses and gets hit on the abdomen. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 14/0 (2.2 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Quicker one, on middle and off, Sediqullah Atal rocks back inside the crease and tucks this to deep mid-wicket for two.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 12/0 (2.1 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, SIX! Maybe the Afghanistan batters have decided not to let Manav Suthar settle into his rhythm. Tossed up, around off, Sediqullah Atal shimmies down the track and swings through the line. Hits this a long way back over the sight screen for a biggie. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 6/0 (1.6 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Abdul Malik, Full and on the pads, Abdul Malik flicks this through the right of Mohammed Siraj at mid on. Siraj chases this, puts in a dive to his right and fields this. A couple taken by the batters. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (1.5 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Abdul Malik, Back of a length, around off, Abdul Malik gets behind the line and keeps it out.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (1.4 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Abdul Malik, Hard length, wide of off, Abdul Malik plays within the line and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (1.3 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Abdul Malik, Right in the channel, on a good length, around off, Abdul Malik pokes at it away from his body but gets beaten on the outside. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (1.2 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Abdul Malik, Good length, around off, Abdul Malik leaves it as well.

It will be Prasidh Krishna to bowl from the other end.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (1.1 overs)

Prasidh Krishna to Abdul Malik, Full and wide of off, Abdul Malik leaves it all alone. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (0.6 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Pushes it through now, on a length, on middle. Sediqullah Atal stabs it down by getting forward.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 4/0 (0.5 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, FOUR! Gets it away! Floated up, fuller and turning in, on middle. Sediqullah Atal gets down on a knee and has a slog with the turn. It comes off the inner half and goes wide of backward square leg for a boundary.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 0/0 (0.4 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Flat and short, on middle. Sediqullah Atal rocks back to defend.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 0/0 (0.3 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Turning back into the pads, on a good length. Atal nudges it to square leg.

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 0/0 (0.2 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, A tough chance, but standing in close, you have got to take these. Quicker one, on the pads, Sediqullah Atal blocks this one. Atal couldn't keep this down, and the ball goes close to the right of Sai Sudharsan at short leg. Sai leans low and tries to catch this one, but he couldn't grab hold of it. 

Afghanistan vs India Live Score : 0/0 (0.1 overs)

Manav Suthar to Sediqullah Atal, Appeal for LBW on the very first delivery, but the umpire turns the appeal down. Quicker one, around off, Sediqullah Atal prods onto his front foot and looks to block, but misses out and the ball clips Atal high on his back thigh and rolls towards first slip. Suthar was keen on sending this upstairs, but Shubman Gill opted against it after consultation with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. A wise decision not to send this upstairs, as the impact was outside the line.

India debutant Manav Suthar's memorable performance against Afghanistan came with an unusual twist. While the young spinner starred with the ball on the second day of the one-off Test in Mullanpur, his family chose not to witness the feat from the stands.

According to PTI, Manav's father Jagdish Suthar, a retired Physical Education teacher from Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, had travelled to Mullanpur along with his wife and daughter Mansi to watch the left-arm spinner receive his maiden Test cap. However, the family returned home before the second day's play because of nerves and superstition.

Manav repaid the faith shown in him by India's team management with an outstanding spell of 3/21 in 15.5 overs, leaving Afghanistan struggling in their first innings.

IND vs AFG Live Score: Sunil Gavaskar on debutant Manav Suthar

Sunil Gavaskar was particularly impressed not only by Manav Suthar's exploits with the ball but also by the composure and assurance he displayed with the bat. The batting great noted that the debutant looked comfortable at the crease and used his feet confidently during his useful lower-order contribution.

"Manav Suthar has certainly made an impressive start to his Test career. What stood out was not just his bowling, but also the confidence he showed with the bat, particularly in the way he used his feet and looked comfortable at the crease. With the ball, he was extremely accurate and consistently put the batters under pressure," he said.

Gavaskar also praised the young left-arm spinner for making full use of the assistance on offer from the surface. However, he pointed out that a sterner examination awaits on flatter tracks, where success demands greater variation and adaptability from spinners.

"Having said that, this was a highly encouraging debut, and he has shown the attributes to be a strong contender at the Test level going forward," he said.

IND vs AFG: Saleem battles hard despite adversity

Afghanistan pacer Mohammad Saleem was rewarded for his persistence in difficult conditions, finishing with impressive figures of 6 for 140. Bowling under scorching temperatures, he consistently troubled the Indian batters and deservedly emerged as the visitors' standout performer.

Saleem struck early on the second morning by removing Gill with a superb delivery that pitched up and moved away enough to find the edge. He later accounted for Dhruv Jurel with a reverse-swinging delivery that crashed into the stumps after the batter decided to leave the ball.

Omarzai too bowled with plenty of heart and was unlucky not to have better figures despite creating several chances. However, Afghanistan's bowlers lacked support and their batters struggled to cope with India's disciplined attack. Facing a daunting deficit of 451 runs, the visitors will need something extraordinary on Day Three to avoid a heavy defeat.

Live Cricket Score: Pant's 81 headlines morning session

Before India's declaration, Rishabh Pant answered his critics with a mature and entertaining innings of 81 from 121 deliveries. The wicketkeeper-batter blended aggression with discipline, playing his trademark strokes while resisting the temptation to attack every ball. His knock contained six boundaries and three sixes and kept the scoreboard moving during the morning session.

Pant looked set for another Test hundred but perished against off-spinner Hashmatullah Shahidi while trying to accelerate. Charging down the track, he failed to reach the pitch of the ball and offered a simple catch to Azmatullah Omarzai.

The sparse Sunday crowd had expected more fireworks from the left-hander once the spinners came on, making his dismissal a disappointing moment. Nevertheless, his innings once again underlined his value in the longest format and helped India stretch their dominance over Afghanistan in the contest.

IND vs AFG Live Score: Three wickets highlight superb spell

Suthar's first wicket came just before tea when opener Abdul Malik attempted an ambitious sweep after struggling to read the spinner. The extra bounce generated by the delivery made the shot look awkward and handed India the breakthrough. He then produced a beautifully crafted dismissal to remove former KKR batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

After bowling several deliveries that went straight, Suthar tempted Gurbaz into defending one that dipped late and turned away, taking the edge through to Sai Sudharsan at second slip. His third victim, Afsar Zazai, fell to another cleverly disguised delivery that stopped on the surface and forced a leading edge back to the bowler.

Throughout the spell, Gill backed the youngster with long spells from one end while rotating his other bowlers. Suthar responded magnificently, producing a performance that highlighted both skill and temperament on debut.

IND vs AFG: Old-school spin leaves experts impressed

Suthar's bowling was a throwback to classical left-arm spin and perhaps the most heartening aspect for Indian cricket. At a time when T20 cricket has turned many spinners into defensive operators, the youngster relied on traditional virtues of flight, loop and turn. His high release point allowed him to impart heavy revolutions on the ball, creating drift before turning it away from right-handers.

Television pitch maps showed his remarkable consistency as he repeatedly landed the ball in the same area but extracted different results. Some deliveries turned sharply, others bounced extra while a few skidded through as arm balls. His repetitive action and ability to deceive batters in the air made him a delight to watch.

If his debut performance is any indication, Indian selectors can feel reassured about a smooth transition whenever Ravindra Jadeja eventually steps away from Test cricket.

Live Cricket Score: India pile on 564 before declaration

India resumed the day in a commanding position and eventually declared their first innings at 564 for 8 after Washington Sundar completed a composed unbeaten half-century. The all-rounder made 52 not out and shared a valuable 54-run partnership with Suthar, who looked comfortable during his entertaining 28 off 41 balls.

The declaration came immediately after Washington reached his fifty, with Gill deciding that the bowlers had enough runs to work with.

Earlier in the morning, captain Gill added only a few runs to his overnight score before falling for a well-made 126. Dhruv Jurel played some attractive strokes but departed for 19. Despite regular wickets, India maintained their dominance through useful contributions down the order. Their imposing total left Afghanistan with a huge task and ensured that the pressure firmly remained on the visitors from the moment they began their reply.

IND vs AFG Live Score: Suthar shines on dream debut

Debutant Manav Suthar emerged as the biggest positive for India as his classical left-arm spin put the hosts in complete control on the second day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan on Sunday.

The 23-year-old from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan returned figures of 3 for 21 in 15.5 overs as Afghanistan ended the day struggling at 113 for 5, still 451 runs behind India's massive first-innings total.

Suthar's maiden Test appearance offered a glimpse into India's spin-bowling future, with his ability to extract drift, turn and bounce standing out.

Skipper Shubman Gill showed immense faith in the youngster, allowing him to bowl unchanged for long spells. Prasidh Krishna complemented him well with figures of 2 for 27. With Afghanistan already under severe pressure, India will head into Day Three hoping to wrap up the innings quickly and push for a comprehensive victory.