India vs Afghanistan 2026: Only Test Match Report, June 6–10, 2026

India finished the opening day of the Test match against Afghanistan in a commanding position at 368 for 3, with Shubman Gill unbeaten on 103 and KL Rahul scoring a patient 100 in New Chandigarh. On a sweltering day that touched 40 degrees Celsius, India’s captain Gill chose to bat first in the city’s first men’s Test, hoping the pitch would deteriorate as the match progressed. Afghanistan’s new-ball attack, led by Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Saleem, made early inroads by extracting uneven bounce and movement, but India’s top order absorbed the pressure and gradually took control.

Rahul survived a close call early in his innings when he edged Ziaur Ahmed to the keeper on 16, but Afghanistan declined to review the not-out decision. He then settled into a disciplined rhythm, leaving balls outside off stump and defending carefully as the pitch tightened. His innings gathered momentum through persistence rather than aggression, and he reached his 12th Test century in the 61st over with a flick off his pads. At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal made a brisk start but fell for 24 after edging Saleem to the wicketkeeper, giving the bowler his maiden Test wicket.

B Sai Sudharsan was the other major contributor in India’s first-innings surge. After riding out the difficult early spells, he played fluently through the middle phase and struck three fours in quick succession. His 81 came in composed fashion before he was caught by wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai off Ziaur Ahmed. Sudharsan and Rahul had added 131 for the second wicket, a partnership that helped India recover from the early challenge and blunt Afghanistan’s swing attack.

As the day wore on, the pitch began to grip and turn more, but Afghanistan struggled to capitalize. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi used his spin economically and at a slow pace, but without creating sustained danger. Debutant Nangeyalia Kharote produced one sharp chance when he found Sudharsan’s edge, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz dropped the chance at slip. Afghanistan also hurt themselves with inconsistent lines, especially from their seamers, who too often strayed onto the pads or outside their ideal lengths.

Shubman Gill then took command after tea, compiling a fluent and authoritative hundred, his 11th in Test cricket. He found boundaries with trademark drives and cuts, and his unbeaten innings reflected both class and control. Once Rahul was dismissed for exactly 100, Gill continued to accelerate with Rishabh Pant, who played in a restrained manner before bursting into action against offspinner Abdul Malik. Pant struck three sixes in typical fashion on his way to an unbeaten 50, reaching the milestone in the final over of the day.

By stumps, India had lost only three wickets and held the upper hand firmly. Afghanistan, playing their first Test against India since their 2018 debut in the format, were left to rue missed chances, dropped catches, and a bowling effort that faded after a promising start.