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- IND vs AFG Live Score, One-Off Test Match Day 2: Saleem Safi removes Shubman Gill; India still en route to a mammoth total
IND vs AFG Live Score, One-Off Test Match Day 2: Saleem Safi removes Shubman Gill; India still en route to a mammoth total
Rahul's innings was a lesson in patience and discipline. The right-hander overcame an early reprieve — a faint edge that went unnoticed by wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai — to compile a measured 100 off 165 balls. His innings allowed the more fluent Sai Sudharsan to play freely during their 139-run second-wicket partnership. The left-hander looked set for a maiden Test century before falling for 81 after surviving two earlier chances.
If Rahul represented restraint, Gill epitomised authority. The captain batted with remarkable ease, treating the weary Afghan bowlers with disdain while remaining unbeaten on 103 off 143 deliveries. His 11 boundaries and a straight six reflected the confidence with which he controlled proceedings. Alongside the adventurous Rishabh Pant, who blasted three sixes in an unbeaten half-century, Gill added 121 runs for the fourth wicket to further flatten Afghanistan.
While Mohammad Saleem emerged as Afghanistan's most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 67, it was pacer Ziaur Rahman who posed the biggest challenge. However, the visitors' biggest problem lay in their spin department. In the absence of their established stars, Nangeyalia Kharote and Abdul Malik lacked the quality to trouble India's accomplished batters.
India scored freely without resorting to all-out aggression, collecting 42 boundaries and four sixes. With the pitch expected to aid spin as the game progresses, the hosts appear firmly on course to dictate the contest and possibly force a result well before the scheduled fifth day.
- Shubman Gill 125 (172)
- Rishabh Pant 67 (95)
Mohammad Saleem to Shubman Gill, FOUR! In the gap! Mohammad Saleem bangs it in short, over middle, Shubman stands tall and swivels to pull it behind square to the left of deep fine leg for the second boundary of the over.
Mohammad Saleem to Shubman Gill, Keeps it at the stumps, full in length, driven to mid on.
Mohammad Saleem to Shubman Gill, FOUR! Fine shot. Saleem goes full in search of swing and finds a hint of inward shape, on the off stump. Shubman springs onto the front foot for the drive. Plays it back towards the bowler and Saleem can only get fingertips to it on the follow-through. It races past mid off's right for a boundary.
Mohammad Saleem to Shubman Gill, Around the off stump, on a good length. Shubman blocks it close to his body.
Mohammad Saleem to Rishabh Pant, On the pads, on a length. Rishabh wrists it wide of mid-wicket for a single.
Mohammad Saleem to Rishabh Pant, Delivers it full, on middle. Pant gets behind the line to defend.
Mohammad Saleem (13-1-67-2) replaces Ziaur Rahman in the attack.
- Shubman Gill 117 (168)
- Rishabh Pant 66 (93)
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Keeps it in and around the off stump, on a short of a length. Gill stabs it down off the back foot.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, FOUR! Nicely done! Hurls it on a back of a length, outside off. Gill lets the ball come to him and opens the bat face to run it down to deep third for a four. The 400 is up for India.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Uppishly played! Floated up there by Omarzai, on middle. Gill leans forward for the drive and presents the full face of the blade. Chips it back to the bowler's right. Azmatullah sticks out his right hand but fails to lay fingertips to it. Pant was not backing up too far and was alert enough to plonk his back leg inside the crease quickly.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Slightly on the shorter side, over off. Shubman defends it from the crease.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, A bit more effort on this ball. Banged into the deck, on off. Rishabh drops it with soft hands to the right of cover for a quick single.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, At 132.2 kph, lands it on a good length, on off. Pant covers the line and blocks it off.
- Shubman Gill 113 (164)
- Rishabh Pant 65 (91)
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, FOUR! Put away with ease! Rahman errs in line as he offers a lot of width. This is fractionally short, and Gill slaps it hard, beating the man at deep point to his right. The 150-run stand comes up between these two batters.
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, Moving back in the air, on a good length, just outside the off stump. Shubman pats it to cover.
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, Goes fuller now, outside off. Gill taps it beside the strip on the off side.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Dug in short, over off. Pant helps the pull behind square leg and turns the strike over.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Switches to around the wicket now, this keeps coming back in, around off, on a short of a length. Rishabh Pant leaves it all alone.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! Up and over! Going away with the angle, on a length. Pant shimmies down the track and reaches out to flay it over cover for his 5th boundary of the innings. The stand moves to 146.
- Shubman Gill 109 (161)
- Rishabh Pant 60 (88)
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Omarzai keeps attacking the stumps, this time with a length delivery on middle and off. Gill punches this back to the bowler.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Good length, on middle and leg, drifting down the leg side. Shubman Gill tucks this to mid-wicket.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Full and wide of off, Rishabh Pant drives this towards sweeper cover for a single.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length, in the line of the stumps. Pant pushes this to the off side.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Azmatuallah bowls this on a hard length, angling into the batter. Rishabh Pant blocks this towards short covers.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Beaten! In the channel, on off, Pant fiddles at it and is beaten on the outside edge.
- Shubman Gill 110 (159)
- Rishabh Pant 59 (84)
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, Width offered, on a length, Gill reaches out and slams it well but can't get it past extra cover.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, On a back of a length, on off, Pant dabs it to deep point for a single.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, FOUR LEG BYES! Drifting on the pads, on a length. Pant fails to lay any bat on the glance. It goes off the pads and beats the keeper to his right. It races down to the deep fine leg fence.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Pushed across off, on a good length. Pant leaves it alone.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! Not from the middle but Pant won't mind. This is on a length, on middle. Rishabh Pant dances down the track and swings hard at it. It goes off the inner half through backward square leg for a boundary.
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, Lands it full, on middle. Gill shapes up for the flick but the ball holds its line to catch a soft leading edge. It goes behind point for a run.
- Rishabh Pant 54 (80)
- Shubman Gill 109 (157)
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, On a good length, on middle. Pant gets behind the line to defend.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Where has this come off? Angled in, on the off stump. Pant defends down the wrong line as the ball straightens off the deck. It brushes the back thigh before going behind towards the keeper. Well, well, twice in two balls have Afghanistan missed out on taking a review. The UltraEdge shows that the ball grazed the outside edge and then brushed the back thigh before being taken low by the keeper.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, A big opportunity missed! Shaping back in, full and on middle. Gill lunges for the block but is beaten on the inside edge to be rapped on the pads. There were two noises. Afghanistan have only one review left and before they can make up their mind, they have run out of time. Oh, dear, Afghanistan may well have missed another here. The two noises are from the ball brushing the front pad first and then the back pad. The Ball Tracking comes up as three reds with the ball hitting the leg stump. The batters managed to cross over as the ball went away on the off side.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Good-length delivery, honing in on the off stump, Shubman is solid in defence.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Just a bit of nip away from the off stump. Shubman is slightly squared up on the block.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Nice and tight, bowled on a good length, on top of off. Shubman keeps it out from the crease.
- Rishabh Pant 54 (78)
- Shubman Gill 108 (153)
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Full and well wide on off, Pant offers no shot.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Rahman drifts down leg, Rishabh walks inside the line but misses out on the tickle.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Goes wide on the crease and attacks the front pad with a good-length ball. Pant brings his bat out in front to stab it down on the leg side.
Ziaur Rahman to Rishabh Pant, Hooping back in, full and wide on off. Pant pushes away from his body and miscues it off the inner half to mid-wicket.
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, Curving away from the right-hander, full in length. Gill leans on for the drive and plays it through point for a single.
Ziaur Rahman to Shubman Gill, Pitched up by Rahman, around off. A touch of away swing but Gill blocks it off with a straight bat.
- Rishabh Pant 54 (74)
- Shubman Gill 107 (151)
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Left alone! Too wide to make the batter play by Azmatullah Omarzai. Pant lets it pass.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, Half a shout for LBW! Slanting back in at the sticks from around the wicket, on a back of a length. Pant hangs back to deal with it but is beaten for pace and also by the seam movement. Gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit high on the pads.
Afghanistan has finally taken the second new ball in the 87th over, having delayed the option to ensure their frontline pacers were fresh.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! First sign of intent from Pant on Day 2. Pushed across the left-hander, on the fuller side. Rishabh gives the bowler the charge and extends his hands to drive it through covers for a boundary.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, In the channel on off, bowled on a length. Gill plays a punchy drive to deep point and crosses over.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, A hint of inward shape, on the off stump, on a short of a length. Shubman covers the line and blocks it off.
Azmatullah Omarzai to Shubman Gill, Begins on a good length, around off. Gill taps it down on the off side off the front foot.
Rahul, who reached his 12th Test hundred with a patient 100 off 165 balls, embodied classical Test-match virtues, relying on sound defence and elegant drives after surviving an early chance. Gill, meanwhile, was the aggressor-in-chief, batting with such ease that he appeared to be playing a practice game. The Indian skipper remained unbeaten on 103 from 143 deliveries, his 11th Test century coming in just his 41st appearance.
Sai Sudharsan continued his impressive rise with an attractive 81 off 104 balls despite receiving two reprieves, sharing a 139-run stand with Rahul after Yashasvi Jaiswal's early dismissal. Rishabh Pant then joined Gill in an entertaining unbroken partnership worth 121 runs, smashing three sixes during his unbeaten fifty.
Afghanistan's spirited attack struggled for penetration, with Mohammad Saleem claiming two wickets while pacer Ziaur Rahman impressed without much reward. Their inexperienced spin unit failed to exert control, conceding runs regularly as India struck 42 fours and four sixes.
With assistance available for spin on the surface, India are expected to bat briefly on the second morning before unleashing their three-pronged slow-bowling attack.
