New Chandigarh: The Indian cricket team established complete dominance over Afghanistan on the second day of the ongoing Test match in New Chandigarh. Displaying a formidable batting performance, India declared their first innings at a mammoth 564 for the loss of eight wickets during the Sunday afternoon session. In response, Afghanistan handled the remaining overs of the session safely, reaching 12 for no loss by tea, with openers Abdul Malik and Sediqullah Atal remaining unbeaten at the crease.
Local favourite and Indian captain Shubman Gill led from the front, anchoring the innings with a brilliant 126 runs. Opening batsman KL Rahul also notched up a stellar century, scoring exactly 100. The middle order capitalised on the solid foundation, with explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and Sai Sudharsan both contributing vital knocks of 81 runs each. Lower down the order, Washington Sundar played a composed unbeaten innings of 52, while Kulदीप Yadav remained not out on 9.
Earlier in the innings, debutant Manav Suthar scored 28 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal managed 24, and Dhruv Jurel added 19 to the total. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj provided some late entertainment, smashing a quickfire 22 runs off just 12 deliveries. On the bowling front for Afghanistan, paceman Mohammad Saleem Safi was the standout performer, picking up an impressive six-wicket haul to prevent India from crossing the 600-run mark. Zia-ur-Rehman Sharifi and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Resuming the second day at an overnight score of 368 for 3, India looked to build a massive total with Gill starting at 103 and Pant at 50. The duo extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 169 runs before the Afghanistan breakthrough arrived. Gill could only add 23 runs to his overnight score before being dismissed for 126, while Pant added 31 more to his tally before walking back to the pavilion.
The dismissal of the Indian captain brought a wave of silence across the New Chandigarh stadium. A massive crowd had gathered early on Sunday specifically to watch the local hero construct a double century. While his dismissal for 126 caused brief disappointment among the fans in the stands, the overall commanding position of the Indian team kept the stadium atmosphere vibrant as the bowling unit prepared to take center stage.
