New Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 8 : Sensational centuries from skipper Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, coupled with a remarkable debut performance from spin all-rounder Manav Suthar, powered India to a massive innings and 300-run victory over Afghanistan in the one-off Test at New Chandigarh on Monday.
After centuries from Rahul and Gill guided Team India to a formidable total of 564/8 declared in the first innings, exceptional bowling performances from spin all-rounders Suthar (6/33) and Washington Sundar (4/36) sealed India's biggest-ever win in Test cricket by an innings margin. However, as the match was not part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, it will not impact India's position in the WTC standings, where they are currently placed sixth.
India won the toss and opted to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal (24 in 32 balls, with five fours) fell early despite providing an aggressive start in a 41-run opening stand with KL Rahul. Rahul then stitched a crucial 139-run partnership with Sai Sudharsan (81 in 104 balls, with 13 fours) for the second wicket.
KL Rahul brought up only his third Test century at home and his 12th overall, scoring 100 in 165 balls, with 11 fours. However, he was dismissed on the very next ball by Ziaur Rahman Sharifi (1/91). Skipper Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant then steadied the innings with another solid stand, ending Day 1 at 368/3, with Gill (103*) and Pant (50*) unbeaten.
The Gill-Pant partnership extended to 169 runs for the fourth wicket. Gill went on to score 126 in 177 balls, with 15 fours and a six, registering his 12th Test century. Pant narrowly missed out on a century, scoring 81 in 121 balls, with six fours and three sixes, as India reached 456/6.
Quick knocks from lower-order batters, Washington Sundar (52* in 68 balls, with five fours and a six), Mohammed Siraj (22 in 14 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Manav Suthar (28 in 41 balls, with two fours and two sixes) pushed India to 564/8 declared.
Mohammad Saleem Safi (6/140) toiled hard for his wickets, but his efforts paid off as he became only the third Afghanistan player to get a fifer.
Afghanistan ended the day two on a poor note at 113/5, with Rahmat Shah (43*) unbeaten and Suthar having inroads into the Afghanistan line-up with three wickets.
Day three started with even more misery for Afghanistan, as Suthar (6/33) became the 10th Indian with a five-wicket haul on debut and registered the third-best figures by an Indian on Test debut. Afghanistan was skittled out for 152, with Rahmat (60 in 135 balls, with nine fours and a six) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (20) being the only batters to cross the 20-run mark for the visitors.
India asked Afghanistan to follow on,, and once again, it was Indian spinners on the top, with Sundar (4/36), Kuldeep Yadav (3/30) and Suthar (1/29) being among the wickets. Afghanistan had an even worse showing in the second innings, scoring 112 all out, with Sediqullah Atal (42 in 80 balls, with five fours and a six) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (24 in 24 balls, with three fours and a six) being the only ones to cross the 20-run mark.
This one-off Test win and exceptional performances by spinners will give Team India a massive boost of confidence. This win has outdone India's win over West Indies by an innings and 272 runs in 2018. The only bigger innings win on Indian soil is by the West Indies against India in 1958, by an innings and 336 runs. The only other biggest innings win by an Asian team is by Pakistan against New Zealand in Lahore, by an innings and 324 runs.
India's next assignment will be a two-match Test series against New Zealand away from home in November.